Maddie's Dream (Marguerite Henry's Ponies of Chincoteague #1)

Gr 4-6—Maddie Martinez absolutely adores her Chincoteague pony Cloudy, who is descended from the famous Misty of Chincoteague. The only problem is that Cloudy does not actually belong to Maddie, but to the Solano Stables, where Maddie takes horse-riding classes. When she discovers that the family who originally owned Cloudy is considering buying her back, Maddie begins to hatch a series of plans to earn money and buy the pony herself. Maddie is a sympathetic protaganist with whom pony-loving girls will identify. Although some of the dialogue is prosaic (overused descriptions of the ponies as "amazing" and "great"), the story feels real and incorporates many equestrian and stable terms. While not an essential purchase, this new series will more than likely be appreciated by readers craving new horse stories.—Jessica Marie, Salem Public Library, OR