Laurie Halse Anderson has received both the Margaret Edwards Award and the ALAN Award for her contributions to young adult literature. She has also been honored by the National Coalition Against Censorship in recognition of her fight to combat the censoring of literature. She is the author of the groundbreaking National Book Award finalist and Printz Honor Book Speak. She is also author of the critically acclaimed YA books Prom, Twitsted, Catalyst, Wintergirls, and The Impossible Knife of Memory. She has also authored a number of middle grade titles including The Vet Volunteers series, and the historical fiction Seeds of America Trilogy, which includes Forge, ALA Best Book for Young Adults Fever 1793, and the National Book Award finalist and Scott O'Dell Award-winner Chains. She and her husband live in northern New York State. Follow Laurie on Twitter @halseanderson and visit her at madwomanintheforest.com.

David is determined to learn to jump on horseback if it kills him. And sometimes he's afraid it might, like when Comet balks and won't go over the crossbar. Now that David's father is back in town, he's promised to teach David how to jump like a champion. But David can't let him know how scared he is. Because there's one thing that scares David more than falling off a horse, and that's disappointing his father. Can he overcome his fear, or even talk about it?