Status
Check shelf
Call number
Publication
Rand McNally &Company
Description
An unusual work horse raised in Vermont and known originally as "Little Bub" becomes the sire of a famous American breed and takes the name of his owner, Justin Morgan.
Local notes
0000-0417-4556
User reviews
LibraryThing member countrylife
”Well, the farmer didn’t want to be beholden to anyone; so he gave the singing master a fine big colt named Ebenezer. And for good measure he threw in a mite of a colt called Little Bub. And that Little Bub…” Joel paused, smiling awkwardly. “He be the one who took on the schoolmaster’s
This is a darling children’s book about the horse line called the Morgan Horse. The book starts in the late 1700s, telling the story of the earliest traceable horse in the line. When a schoolmaster takes a student with him on a trip to the Green Mountains to visit Farmer Beane in Springfield to get some money which was owed him, the story of the Morgan horse is born. Instead of his money, Justin Morgan receives two colts – Ebenezer and Little Bub. Joel Goss, the student who comes along for the adventure, loves Little Bub from the very beginning. The beauty of the book is the love story between boy and horse throughout the years.
There is quite an interesting list of books consulted listed in the back, along with descendants of the book’s subjects. The illustrations by Wesley Dennis were a beautiful addition to the story.
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name, Justin Morgan.”This is a darling children’s book about the horse line called the Morgan Horse. The book starts in the late 1700s, telling the story of the earliest traceable horse in the line. When a schoolmaster takes a student with him on a trip to the Green Mountains to visit Farmer Beane in Springfield to get some money which was owed him, the story of the Morgan horse is born. Instead of his money, Justin Morgan receives two colts – Ebenezer and Little Bub. Joel Goss, the student who comes along for the adventure, loves Little Bub from the very beginning. The beauty of the book is the love story between boy and horse throughout the years.
There is quite an interesting list of books consulted listed in the back, along with descendants of the book’s subjects. The illustrations by Wesley Dennis were a beautiful addition to the story.
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LibraryThing member AprilBrown
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, and few enough that you won’t forget who is who.Setting? – Real world, even includes President James Monroe.Written approximately? – 1954.Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Yes! By the end Joel is an adult, yet he still seems to be written about as a kid with no family relationships. Did he marry? Did he speak to either of his parents again? Is this to keep characters down? What really happened to this very real character? What happens to the horse after his return. How long did the horse live?Any issues the author (or more recent publisher) should cover? – Yes. At one point Joel attempts to buy his horse back with $5.00. How much would that $5.00 be today? What about the $25.00 he does eventually buy the horse back for, how much is that worth today? (I can just imagine a kid reading this and asking their parent to go buy them a horse for $5.00.) Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Love this story. I've read it a dozen times easily - it takes me maybe an hour - but in that time, there's a lot of richness. Simple language expressing some very strong emotions and bonding between the boy and the horse, and between the boy and his various friends. I don't know how accurate the
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history is - I suspect the general outline is correct (a schoolmaster was given a colt in payment of a debt, the colt turned out to be both a good worker and a fast runner, possibly the part about carrying President Monroe for a few minutes); the details, especially Joel's feelings for and care of the colt may be invented. Not sure about the part where a "dark-eyed stranger" paid a lot of money for the horse and, apparently, then sold him to a bad master, or a series of bad masters. That seems awfully convenient, story-wise - and awfully similar to King of the Wind, also by Marguerite Henry. But true or not, it's a great story, and one that rewards rereading. Show Less
LibraryThing member butterkidsmom
A little horse that looked like nothing makes it big
LibraryThing member learn2laugh
I really enjoyed the book and the boys loved it.
LibraryThing member fingerpost
This fictionalized account of the first Morgan horse is a bit old fashioned but it's still a decent enough tale. None of the characters are very deeply developed. Even the protagonist, Joel Goss, isn't a full personality. Towards the end, the story sidelines for 40 or 50 pages to tell about the War
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of 1812, including some bits about military tactics. This whole section is irrelevant to the story of the horse, so it feels out of place and unnecessary. And I must complain about the last sentence of the book. Probably in 1954, when originally published, the closing line seemed brilliantly patriotic, but today it just seems self righteously trite and contrived. Show Less
LibraryThing member Ghost_Boy
I live in Vermont, my name is Morgan, and I really like horses. So yeah, one of my favorite children s books.
Subjects
Awards
Newbery Medal (Honor Book — 1946)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1945
Physical description
7.63 inches
ISBN
1416927859 / 9781416927853