Marguerite, Misty and Me (Adapted for Young Readers): The True Story of a Famous Author, Her Celebrity Pony and a Fangirl Turned History Detective

by Susan Friedland

Overview

A middle school teacher. An award-winning author. A world-famous pony.

When seventh grade teacher Susan Friedland rereads her favorite childhood book, Misty of Chincoteague, curiosity sets in. How did Misty, a pinto pony, turn into a celebrity with a best-selling book series and movie? Who was Marguerite Henry, the author of Misty? Will Susan be able to find Marguerite's fans and friends to uncover the hidden backstory before it's too late?

Travel with Susan from horse farms to libraries and historical archives as she searches for clues. Follow in her footsteps from the Northwoods of Wisconsin to Chicagoland where Marguerite and Misty lived in the 1950s. Splash along in a kayak off Chincoteague Island, Virginia, during the wild pony swim Misty made famous.

Gallop into the magic of Marguerite and Misty and be inspired to chase your curiosity, wherever it takes you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781732710580
Publisher:	Saddle Seeks Horse Press
Publication date:	06/30/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	244
File size:	41 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Susan Friedland is an equestrian author inspired by the works of her favorite author, Marguerite Henry. In 2018, Susan re-read Misty of Chincoteague as an adult, and her curiosity about Marguerite resulted in a two-year quest to uncover facts, fans and friends of Henry and Misty, the famous pony. The result of her research is Susan's book Marguerite, Misty and Me (Saddle Seeks Horse Press, 2023) and the new young reader adaptation of Marguerite, Misty and Me which launched in July on Chincoteague Island during the 99th annual Pony Penning Week. Since 2013, Susan has been blogging at her award-winning website, Saddle Seeks Horse, and has written several horse-themed nonfiction books. Susan also co-hosts the Barn Banter by Horse Illustrated podcast and enjoys adventures with her off-track Thoroughbred Tiz a Knight, in Bull Valley, Illinois. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram at @saddleseekshorse.

Table of Contents

Glossary

1. Wild, Swimming Ponies
2. The Horse Problem
3. Popular Pony Books
4. When Inspiration Strikes
5. The Idea Gallops Away with Me
6. The Newbery Medal and Other Awards
7. The Hands-off Horse
8. Marguerite from Milwaukee
9. Love in a Pine Forest
10. A Journalist's Journey
11. From Pretzel City to a Horse Community
12. The Real Misty Pony
13. Swimming with Horses
14. Marguerite's Writing Secrets
15. Notes Everywhere
16. The Struggle to Write Well
17. Research and Cozy Details
18. Traveling to the Setting
19. Library Adventures
20. Fan Letters and School Pictures
21. Young Friends
22. Influence Before Influencers Existed
23. Chincoteague Pony Fun Facts
24. Pony Penning Prelude
25. Face to Face with Wild Ponies
26. A Walk on the Beach
27. Chincoteague Pony Superfans
28. Games on Horseback
29. The Pony Swim
30. Bidding on a Foal
31. The Swim Home
32. A Website for a Pony
33. A Pictorial Life Story of Misty
34. Book Ideas and Unpublished Stories
35. Marguerite's Twilight
36. Marguerite's Kindness
37. Getting Lost While the Artwork Was Being Found
38. Marguerite, My Muse

Editorial Reviews

2024-08-22
Friedland explores the life and legacy of American children’s author Marguerite Henry (1902-1997) in this memoir and biography.

Since its publication in 1947, millions of readers around the world have enjoyed Henry’s children’s novelMisty of Chincoteague, illustrated by Wesley Dennis. It tells the tale of a spirited filly pony from a famous herd that lives on islands east of Virginia and was inspired by true events. Friedland, a horse enthusiast and former teacher, adored Henry’s books and was curious to know more about the author’s life. The result was a memoir for adults, which Friedland published in 2023 and then adapted into this simpler form for younger readers. She weaves together accounts of her own childhood desire to own a horse and her devotion to Henry’s books, a short biography of Henry herself, and the story of the real Misty’s fame. Juggling all these topics and themes can be a challenge, and the jumps between them can occasionally be jarring. This is unlikely to deter young readers, though, who will find plenty of compelling stories here. Friedland imparts basic facts from Henry’s childhood, education, marriage, and her early years as a journalist before she began writing about children and animals; it was a career that lasted more than 50 years and yielded 59 books, including the Newbery Medal-winningKing of the Wind(1948). Bite-sized sections cover topics such as Henry’s collaborations with illustrators, her research methods, and her approach to the writing craft. Friedland is at her best when conjuring the powerful rapport that Henry had with children, quoting many fan letters, all of which Henry answered. The narrative becomes an active, engaging journey as Friedland visits archives, interviews people who knew Henry, and eventually travels to see the famous wild pony swim between Assateague and Chincoteague Islands. In this final section, Friedland tells of finding kindred spirits and richly portrays the joy of the festivities.

An admirable and ambitious work that reveals the life of an icon of children’s literature.

Kirkus Reviews