Gentle Carousel has been selected as a charity partner in Disney's 2010 volunteer program "Give a Day. Get a Day." Beginning January 1, 2010, when you sign up on Disney's website to volunteer a day of service to Gentle Carousel you'll get one day admission to a Walt Disney World® or Disneyland®theme park, FREE!

Gentle Carousel Therapy Horses is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity.

Your donations are tax deductible. Help us grant wishes, make memories and bring a little magic into the world.

MiniHorseTherapy@att.net

Phone: 352-226-9009

Gentle Carousel Inc.

P.O. Box 1672

High Springs, FL  32655

or

Jorge Garcia-Bengochea

105 West 86th Street

Suite 220

New York, New York  10024

Therapy Horse Angel working at a photo shoot.

Magic appearing on The Ilene Silverman Show.

Gentle Carousel on

Gainesville Today Magazine

Jason and Elihu

A Fisherman's Story

by Shelley Fraser Mickle

For ages 9-12.  Elihu is the famous bass living in Orange Lake in North Florida.  Little does Jason know, he's about to become Elihu's next catch. This novel also features two foster children looking for a home; Sundance, the miniature horse with a craving for peppermints; and a young girl who edits her dream of becoming an ice-skater as she recovers from a brain tumor that has robbed her balance. Featuring art by renowned painter, Tom Sadler, and photographer, Richard Sexton.

Sundance in photos from the book Jason and Elihu.  In this scene he is stealing from the trash cans at the local country store.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shelley Fraser Mickle grew up in Arkansas and Tennessee and graduated from the University of Mississippi. She studied writing at the University of Mississippi, the Harvard Extension School, and Wellesley College.

  Her first novel, THE QUEEN OF OCTOBER, was a l989 New York Times Notable Book; her second novel, REPLACING DAD, became a CBS movie and is now frequently shown on the Hallmark Channel, starring Mary McDonnell and teen heartthrob Eric von Detten.

Shelley began reading her humorous essays on National Public Radio in l995, and her collection of some of these was published in 2000, titled The Kids Are Gone; The Dog Is Depressed & Mom's on the Loose.

Her humorous essays have also recently become a part of the public radio program Recess, which is being picked up from satellite in radio stations in twenty listening areas ranging from Jacksonville to Columbus, Albuquerque to Milwaukee, Mobile Alabama, parts Texas and the state of Wyoming.

In August, 2000 she began reading her humorous essays on NPR's "Morning Edition".

Who doesn't admire the creativity of James Gurney, the best-selling author and illustrator of the Dinotopia book series.

He has created more than seventy illustrated book covers, worked on assignment as a National Geographic artist,  illustrated seventeen United States postage stamps... and made a little something for Reading Is Magic!

Acclaimed children's book author and illustrator Chris Soentpiet is helping our Reading Is Magic program!

We absolutely love the award winning illustrations of Chris Soentpiet.  Chris has won an NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Literary Work, Society of Illustrators Gold Metal, International Reading Award - Children's Book of the Year (three times) and so many others. 

  We use Something Beautiful and More Than Anything Else in our program and they are on our Reading Is Magic Book To Read List.

President Bush reads More Than Anything Else.
 NEW YORK DAILY NEWS (Saturday, February 10, 2001)

Chris Soentpiet has donated beautiful signed prints of his amazing artwork for Gentle Carousel's 2009 fundraiser.  He has also signed posters for us to deliver to our current Reading Is Magic schools and libraries. Thank you so much Chris for your support of Reading Is Magic.

Magic and friends present a signed Chris Soentpiet poster to the library.

We are inspired by Homer Hickam's "Coalwood Trilogy" and include all three books on our Reading Is Magic Books To Read List.

    "Reading Is Magic!

Every child you inspire to read is a life forever changed. Thank you for that and for bringing books to life...

...Reading is magic. It can take you from outer space to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Either way, the journey is magical.

 ...Wow.  Love those little horses... Great job you're doing.  I'm   proud of you." 

-Homer Hickam