97 pages • 3 hours read
Black Beauty
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1877
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Introduction
Black Beauty
- Genre: Fiction; middle grade historical classic
- Originally Published: 1877
- Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1020L; grades 5-9
- Structure/Length: 4 parts; 49 chapters; approx. 245 pages; approx. 5 hours on audio
- Protagonist and Central Conflict: Told in the point of view of Black Beauty from the time he is a young colt, the story reveals the horse’s spirit and courage as he passes through a variety of owners—some who mistreat him—and yearns for a peaceful home.
- Potential Sensitivity Issues: Animal cruelty; abuse toward horses
Anna Sewell, Author
- Bio: 1820-1878; born in Norfolk, England; concerned for the humane treatment of horses from a young age; helped to edit her mother’s bestsellers for children; wrote Black Beauty as an invalid in the last months of her life
CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:
- Inherent Goodness of Animals
- Importance of Intervening to Prevent Cruelty
- Destructiveness of Alcohol Abuse
- Anti-Industrialism and Anti-Capitalism
STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will
