National Velvet by Enid Bagnold

National Velvet is a stirring reminder that one does not have to wait until maturity to arrive at greatness; one need not be held back by gender or lack of money. Velvet Brown's story is a timeless account of an individual rising above the conventional views that hold people back from realizing their dreams.

The first-time reader of the book will be happily surprised to see that, like many literary classics, it is written for all ages. It is a young people's story only in that the plot focuses on a teen-ager; the adult world, however, provides the perspective through which the younger world is seen.