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ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSSet in 14th-century Mongolia, this story follows Oyuna, a twelve-year-old girl whose foot was crushed by a horse when she was a toddler, leaving her with a permanent limp that her family treats as a mark of bad luck. Kept close to the cooking fire and told she is not made to ride, Oyuna secretly teaches herself to mount horses at twilight and discovers a deep, wordless connection with them. When her father announces plans to find her a husband and offers her the gift of any horse she chooses at the great festival of Karakorum, Oyuna sees her chance: she will pick the perfect horse, train it into a champion, and win the long race to finally bring good luck home to her family. What she finds at the festival is not the swift young racer she imagined, but a battered old white mare who seems to speak directly into her mind.
Free Battle of the Books questions for I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book does a girl secretly mount a spotted gelding drinking at a stream at dusk?
✓ Answer
I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Lee Wilson
One twilight, Oyuna finds a spotted gelding drinking at a stream while everyone else is busy with chores. She blows into its nostrils, grabs its mane, and pulls herself onto its back despite her crippled leg. This is the first time she rides a horse, and she finally feels free.
- First half
In what book does a commander knock off a disguised rider's hat and exclaim that the soldier is a girl?
✓ Answer
I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Lee Wilson
When Oyuna tries to saddle Bayan before receiving orders, the angry commander shoves her to the ground, presses his face close, and then knocks her hat off. Seeing her short hair and face, he calls out to the sky spirit in shock, realizing his new soldier is actually a girl.
- First half
In what book does a girl help a boy with shaking hands lift a bowl of soup to his lips?
✓ Answer
I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Lee Wilson
At the arrow station, Oyuna notices that Genma's younger son cannot eat because his arms twitch and nearly upend his bowl every time he tries to lift it. Recognizing the pain of being different, Oyuna slips out of bed, kneels beside him, and steadies the bowl so he can drink.
- Second half
In what book does a girl realize the dead person in a cave is her own grandmother?
✓ Answer
I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Lee Wilson
After finding black felt in the oxcart outside the cave, along with the strange pelts and furry pouches she recognizes from Echenkorlo's tent, Oyuna realizes the dead body she slept beside is her own grandmother Echenkorlo. She is horrified and deeply shaken.
- Second half
In what book does a girl braid strips of silk from her belt into a makeshift rein?
✓ Answer
I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Lee Wilson
After the wild stallion's attack tears one of Bayan's reins from the bit, Oyuna rips three strips of silk from her waist belt and quickly braids them into a cord to replace it. It is a resourceful fix in a desperate moment.
- Near the end
In what book does a chained leopard spring at a visitor from behind a table?
✓ Answer
I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Lee Wilson
As Oyuna approaches the Khan in his great hall, a snarling leopard leaps at her from behind a large table. She drops to her knees in terror, but a chain around its neck yanks it to a stop. The Khan keeps this leopard as a pet in his palace.
