Brighty of the Grand Canyon

A childhood favorite re-visited.Is the story as good as I remember? – YesWhat ages would I recommend it too? – All ages. Children will enjoy the single storyline; while adults enjoy an easy afternoon read (especially while waiting on a bus, show, doctor, or other appointments).Length? –

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Reasonable for an afternoon.Characters? – Memorable, several characters, though a bit confusing in the beginning.Setting? – Real world, Recent times (Theodore Roosevelt and the naming of the Grand Canyon as a national park).Written approximately? – 1953.Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Yes! What was the final sentence for the murderer?Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? None.

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I loved this book when I was a little kid.

I first learned about Brighty from Cleveland Amory in his Save the Burros of the Grand Canyon campaign. It was this introduction that has intrigued me to someday read the story about Brighty to learn about him and it was just plain luck my sister me this story.

For anyone who has read any of the

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Misty stories Marguerite Henry continues with her own style of writing. The reading is to-the-point, entertaining and a bit on the dry side as the book gets a bit lengthier. But for the dryness of the plot at times she makes a wonderful story that otherwise captures your imagination while staying with you.

The characters in here didn't really seem to have much of a personality while they were a bit on the flat side. Even Brighty after the first introduction seemed to be introduced rather strong before thinning out in the latter half of the book.

Definitely would interest any child that is interested in horses, ponies and possibly donkeys or even a introductory book to the Grand Canyon for a family trip. Some parts of the book although not gruesome by most standards of today may cause an issue for the smallest of audiences but otherwise it didn't botch the story.

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Henry is well known for her children’s book focusing on horses and other animals. This was one of my favorites as a child.

Bright Angel was a wild burro named for the creek along which he made his home. In the early 1900s he befriended tourists and naturalists who visited what was to become our

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17th National Park – The Grand Canyon. He had a sixth sense about people’s characters and would kick at or run from anyone he deemed unfriendly or a threat. But he was gentle with children and helped carry water and other supplies for those he trusted.

Henry uses the historical facts and embellishes the story to create a murder mystery with some valuable lessons in natural history. Reading it as an adult, I can definitely see why I loved her books as a child. There are some darker moments in this book, including animal cruelty, but the murder occurs off text and Henry keeps the violence to a bare minimum and uses humor and joy to temper any negative images.

Illustrations by Wesley Dennis add to the charm of the book.

NOTE: "Date read" is the approximate time I first read this ... I must have read it 3 or 4 times as a child, as I did with all of Henry's books. Most recent re-read was in March 2013.

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When I was a girl I read every Henry horse story I could find. I sure do wish our tiny town library had owned this one, too. I don't think it's as good as King of Wind (the very best), Justin Morgan had a Horse, or probably even Black Gold - but everything by her is worth reading. And everything

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illustrated by Dennis is worth viewing. Sorry I can't be more objective or specific - all I can do is recommend you read whichever you can get yourself.

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This is one of the few books by this author that I'd not read as a youth, but I enjoyed reading it as an adult. Brighty is a not-quite wild burro that lives partly in an offshoot of the Grand Canyon, and partly with those humans he likes. He deals with challenges including mountain lions, and those

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who would abuse his good nature.

Though somber in parts, and with some brief mentions of violence, it is an entertaining read for young and older animal lovers alike.

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Another enjoyable re-read from childhood, this book is mostly fiction, but based upon fact. If memory serves, a burro named Brighty was the inspiration for the naming of "The Bright Angel Trail" at the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona. I read this, as a child, about the time my family

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visited that immense and awe-inspiring place.

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I have the first hardback edition....the story line is fun, the pictures are great. Good as a kid's book and for an easy adult read that is informative about the Big Hole, especially if you've never been here.

A children's chapter book with a great adventure storyline.