Horse Books – These five are must-reads for kids!
Misty of Chincoteague
Author: Margaret Henry
publication date: 1947
Synopsis: An endearing and infectiously innocent story, this Newberry Award-winning classic introduces horse-loving children Paul and Maureen Beebe and their grandparents who live on a picturesque farm on Chincoteague Island. The legendary Pony Penning Day has finally arrived and, finally, Paul Beebe is old enough to accompany the grown men to Assateague Island to round up the wild ponies that live there. He and his sister Maureen have been working desperately to scrape together enough money to buy their own Chincoteague Pony; However, the particular horse they desire isn’t just another one of the beloved faces they meet each year: it’s the Phantom, the renowned mare who has cautiously evaded capture year after year. Paul is convinced that he can catch the Phantom…and he does! But along with the Ghost comes his little filly. One look is all it takes for the Beebe kids to fall head over heels for Misty, as they call the foal. However, they soon realize that they only have the funds to purchase the Phantom; unless they can somehow come up with several more dollars in a matter of hours, Misty won’t be his.
My friend Flicka
Author: Mary O’Hara
publication date: 1941
Synopsis: This book is the first of this timeless trilogy, beautifully written and thoroughly gripping. It is the heartwarming story of a ten-year-old boy named Ken who lives on an isolated horse farm in Wyoming with his older brother, his mother, and his father. All Ken wants is a horse of his own, but his father won’t give it to him because Ken is a “dreamer” and valuable horses cannot be wasted on someone like Ken. Finally, Ken’s mother convinces her father to give Ken a horse of his own. McLaughlin has big plans for Ken’s young horse, but Ken falls in love with an elusive sorrel filly, daughter of an indomitable mare named Rocket. Even though the filly comes from a line of mean, wild horses, McLaughlin agrees to give her to Ken. Rocket dies in a freak accident and Flicka the filly is injured when her owner tries to catch her. Everyone thinks Flicka will die… except Ken.
the black stallion
Author: Walter Farley
publication date 1941
Synopsis: The Black (or Shetan), the wildly flashy stallion who stars in this series, was described by the New York Times as “the most famous fictional horse of the century.” While each and every book in this illustrious and masterful series is worth reading, it is the first to have enjoyed its place on the pedestal as one of the most cherished horse books in all of history. While returning to the United States of America on a ship after visiting his uncle in Arabia, red-haired teenager Alec Ramsey and a brutally wild stallion nearly drown in the dramatic and terrifying sinking of their ship. Stranded on a hospitable desert island, the pair form an unbreakable and inexplicable bond so intimate that not even Alec can understand it. Upon his rescue and return to the US, Alec befriends a cantankerous retired racehorse trainer, Henry Dailey, who instantly identifies the Black’s unrivaled pedigree. Together, he and Alec begin clandestinely training the Black to compete; as Henry first thought, the Black is wickedly fast, but he lacks the documents that would certify him as a horse capable of running, and it looks like Alec’s dreams for the Black will come to nothing.
black beauty
Author: Anna Sewell
publication date: 1877
Synopsis: Composed in the last years of his life, this incomparable novel has become one of the most appreciated books by young and old; it was also the first story to be classified in the now very popular pony literary genre. Told in the first person from the point of view of the aging and retired horse, Black Beauty, we get a unique and moving look into the world of a 19th-century horse, from his birth in the peaceful English countryside to his days as a rider. horse from various wealthy owners, to the harsh and grueling existence of a coach horse in the bustling city of London. Beauty will have many owners, some kind and others cruel; You will also meet many other horses, some whose stories end happily and others whose conclusion is tragic. If you claim to be crazy about horses, this book is a must read.
ghost stallion
Author: Terri Farley
publication date: 2002-2010
Synopsis: Set in the dusty, inspiring landscape of the Nevada desert, the twenty-four books in this series captured the hearts and imaginations of all my horse-crazy friends and I during our early teen years. Brave and down-to-earth, they describe the homecoming and later life of Samantha Forster, a motherless thirteen-year-old girl sent to live in San Francisco with her aunt after a horrific horse-riding accident nearly caused her untimely death. . Upon her return to River Bend Ranch, her beloved colt, Blackie, has yet to be found; he was the horse Sam was riding on when she was injured and fell into a coma. On that first night, however, a sneaky silver stallion calls out to Sam from across the river. Could Blackie be mature? The rest of the books tell the captivating, fast-paced, moving and wonderful stories of Sam’s life on the ranch and all the unforgettable horses and people he meets. They are more modern in date and flavor than the other novels, but the quality is just as valuable. Once you’ve delved into one of these books, you’ll have to read the others, and once you’ve done that, you’ll never stop remembering them.
