I really enjoyed re-reading this Newberry honor book with my daughter. I read it so long ago that I vaguely remembered what happened and what it was about, but the details were fuzzy.
Paul and Maureen Beebe had a dream. They had long witnessed Pony Penning Day and the excitement that surrounded it. One pony on Assateague Island, just off the shore of Chincoteague where the wild ponies roamed, was the elusive Phantom. No one had ever caught her before. This year would be different. This year Paul was able to go on the round-up and he was determined he would return with Phantom.
Something was different this year, something was slowing the Phantomdown. Paul had her cornered, and could see a bit of mist following her. That mist turned out to be a small little filly Paul named Misty.
To everyone's surprise, Paul herded Phantom, with little Misty in tow towards the other horses. They began the swim across the channel. Paul and Maureen are able to buy their dream horse, Phantom, and her foal, Misty.
They spend the next year working with Phantom and Misty, training Phantom to ride and keeping Misty out of trouble. Phantom turned out to be quite a speedy horse. She might be able to beat the Black Comet at the next Pony Penning Day.
Pony Penning Day is back again at last. It's time for the big race. Although both Paul and Maureen want to ride the Phantom, they break a wishbone to see who wins the right. Paul gets the bigger piece, and although Maureen is disappointed, she supports Paul.
Phantom wins the race with ease and is the next superstar. But as the wild adult horses are being rounded up to swim back across the channel, the call of the Pied Piper rings out. The Pied Piper was the Phantom's stallion and Misty's sire. Paul sees the wild in the Phantom's eyes. The desire to run free again. Paul makes a decision. He removes his riding gear from Phantom and sets her free where she belongs.
While the Phantom is wild an a creature of Assateague Island. Misty, as she nuzzles up to Paul and Maureen is a creature of Chincoteague. I've always wondered why this book was called Misty of Chincoteague when it was mostly about the Phantom, but the book is still every bit worth reading. The real Misty actually lived with Marguerite for 10 years before she returned to the Beebe's. More information can be found about the `real' Misty's story here, including her offspring. Marguerite Henry wrote many more books on horses, several on offspring of Misty or about Chincoteague.
This book won the Newberry Honor in 1948. I was very happy to share this great novel with my daughter once again. she recieved the book Misty of Chincoteague, movieMisty and Breyer horse for Christmas and it was a hit. She couldn't wait to dive in.
Read and reviewed January 2009.
The 1961 movie adaptation, Misty, is also worth watching. My daughter recieved the book, Breyer Model, and movie for Christmas. She has watched the movie more times than I can count....so it must be pretty good.
Misty a Fun Horse Story
I read this book to my 8 year old daughter. I felt like we both got to learn some history of this area plus we were rewarded with a fun horse story. We both enjoyed this book.
Memories
I bought this book for my grand daughter because when I was her age I loved it so! Reread it before sending and, although as a child I had the hardcover with the water color-like illustrations, the pencil sketches served almost as well. Many many fond memories in Misty!!!!
MISTY OF CHINCOTEAGUE Revisited
(This review is based on the 1973 printing of this book.)
I just reread Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry (1947). The first time I read it I must have been 7 or 8. Then, its heft imprinted the skin on my forearms, and its story of wild horses, heroic kids, and exotic islands imprinted my imagination; now, its rigorous verbs and extended metaphors impress the writer and editor in me. To see what I mean read the following excerpt. (A storm caught a galleon transporting ponies from Spain to Panama.):
"A cold wind spiraled down the hatch. It whistled and screamed above the rough voice of the captain. It gave way only to the deep flump-flump of the thunder.
The sea became a wildcat now, and the galleon her prey. She stalked the ship and drove her off her course. She slapped at her, rolling her victim from side to side. She knocked the spars out of her and used them to ram holes in her sides. She clawed the rudder from its sternpost and threw it into the sea. She cracked the ship's ribs as if they were brittle bones. Then she hissed and spat through the seams.
The pressure of the sea swept everything before it. Huge baskets filled with gravel for ballast plummeted down the passageway between the ponies, breaking up stalls as they went by.
Suddenly the galleon shuddered. From bow to stern came an endless rasping sound! The ship has struck a shoal. And with a ripping and crashing of timber the hull cracked open. In that split second the captain, his men, and his live cargo were washed into the boiling foam.
The wildcat sea yawned. She swallowed the men. Only the captain and fifteen ponies managed to come up again. The captain bobbed alongside the stallion and made a wild grasp for his tail, but a great wave swept him out of reach.... The wind calmed.
The sea was no longer a wildcat. She became a kitten, fawning and lapping about the ponies' legs."
What do you think? I think Wow! I think Marguerite Henry may have inspired many young (and unyoung) writers to write thriving stories that include believable metaphors and sturdy verbs.
Great book, horrible edition
Misty is a wonderful book with beautiful illustrations by Wesley Dennis. This paperback edition is horrible - far too small. The paper is terrible quality. The pictures are barely visible. Even the print is too small.
Better to get it second-hand or from the library.
