THE HORSES OF CENTRAL PARK

The eponymous horses can talk, which means that they respond to the friendly overtures of Wendell, 12, who has learned about such speech-empowered beasts from his uncle Chip. When Wendell sees how downtrodden the horses are—hauling carriages full of rude tourists, accepting the scorn of the police horses—he vows to give them a few days of freedom. Enlisting the help of his best friend Judith, he releases the horses into a secluded part of Central Park, where they romp; then, as promised, they return to their duties. Despite some suspense, a meek and unengaging novel. Even readers willing to go along with the premise will quickly find that it's not enough for horses to talk—they should also have something to say. The personalities of the two- and four-legged characters, the writing, the themes—all contribute to the pervasive tedium. (Fiction. 9-12)