Misty of Chincoteague (Misty of Chincoteague, #1 )

by Marguerite Henry

Other authorsWesley Dennis (Illustrator)
Paperback, 1991

Status

Available

Call number

J3B.Hen

Publication

Aladdin Paperbacks

Pages

173

Description

Two youngsters' determination to own a Chincoteague pony is greatly increased when the Phantom and her colt are among those rounded up for the yearly auction.

Collection

Barcode

736

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1947

Physical description

173 p.; 7.5 inches

ISBN

0689714920 / 9780689714924

User reviews

LibraryThing member EdGoldberg
Chincoteague is a small island off the coast of Virginia. It is protected from the ocean by a larger island, Asateague, which is a wildlife refuge for wild fowl and wild ponies. Each year there is a round up of ponies from Asateague so that they don’t overrun the island and over populate. Boats
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line up from island coast to island coast, creating a lane for the horses to go from Asateague to Chincoteague. Misty of Chincoteague is the story of Paul and Maureen whose goal is to capture the elusive horse, Phantom, and claim her as their own.

Paul and Maureen dream of Phantom and begin saving money in order to buy him after the roundup. It is Paul’s first round up and, surprisingly, he sees Phantom and herds her into the watery lane leading to the Pony Pens on Chincoteague. The surprising thing is that Phantom had a colt since the prior year, which Paul immediately names Misty. Now brother and sister want to buy both horses.

Originally written in 1947, the dialogue in Misty of Chincoteague may be a little dated. But don’t let that deter you from a delightful story of a brother and sister who yearn for a horse of their own. They live with their grandparents who are horse trainers, so they see horses come and go. They need their own horse. Henry does an excellent job of situating the reader amidst the action. Readers feel like they are part of the island round up. They see the wild horses struggling against the tide to get from island to the next. They feel Maureen’s pain when she learns that someone had already purchased Misty.

Misty of Chincoteague is a great read-aloud book as well as a great story book. Animal lovers will not be able to put the book down.
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LibraryThing member satyridae
Just as magical as I remembered, though there is a thread of sexism running subtly throughout. Paul gets to do all the good stuff and Maureen gets to hand him things. That aside, the narration is splendid, the storyline exciting, and the one beautiful moment at the end filled my eyes with tears,
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just like it always used to.
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LibraryThing member KellyLPickett
This is the story of the young brother and sister duo from Chincoteague who set their hearts and minds on the impossible... capturing and owning The Phantom. They live on this small strip of land that is sheltered from the ocean by Assateague island, home to the wild ponies. Every year the
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islanders travel to the island to roundup all the colts and yearlings to bring back to Chincoteague to sell, but there had always been this one who seemed to allude the riders each year, but Paul and his sister Maureen have faith they they will be the ones to finally bring her in. On the day of the round up it is discovered that the Phantom now has a filly... Misty.
I first read this book while in middle school living in Maryland and loved it then. This go around I was a bit underwhelmed but can see what appealed to me so much then. It is a book filled with adventure and inspired by the stories of the real wild ponies of Assateague.
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LibraryThing member Cottonwood.School
Two youngsters' determination to own a Chincoteague pony is greatly increased when the Phantom and her colt are among those rounded up for the yearly auction.
LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
I had a pony as a kid & lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, not too far from Chincoteague. We went there & I got to put a real place to the book. The 'Paul' in the book was in his early 30's then, as I recall & I supposedly got to meet him. I was pretty young, about 7 or 8 I guess. I was told
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he was Paul, anyway. I don't think we got to see Misty, but one of her foals - Stormy? Anyway, it was a memorable book, all my kids read them & my wife too.
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LibraryThing member leepam
Misty of Chincoteague is great story and I cannot wait to read it aloud to my students. The story shows the benefits of hard work and when it is time to let someone or something go. Paul and Maureen Beebe live with their grandparents on their farm. They want a horse for themselves that their
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grandfather won’t sell. One day while they are with their grandfather on Assateague Island, they see Phantom- a beautiful mare that no one has been able to capture- and decide that they want to buy her on Pony Penning Day. The two children work hard doing whatever work they can and raise enough money to buy her; the only problem is that she has to be captured and brought in and no one has ever been able to capture her. Paul had finally reached the age that he could ride with the men to bring in the wild horses. Paul captured Phantom and learned that she had a baby with her. As the men are bringing the horses to Chinoteague Island to be sold, the colt- who was not old enough to swim- begins to struggle, so Paul jumps in and swims with her holding her head above water so that she does not drown. Paul gains the trust of Phantom and her colt, Misty, that night when he spends the night with them during a storm. Paul and Maureen are able to buy both of the horses. They bring them home; Misty loves living at the Beebe’s farm, but Phantom yearns for her freedom. Paul and Beebe work with Phantom and teach her how to race; she wins the Pony Penning Race the following year. Not long after the race, Paul and Maureen can sense how sad Phantom is so they let her go. She stayed with her colt until she was old enough to be on her own and she knew that she would be safe and protected.
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LibraryThing member amybrojo
A kid classic I had never read! Enjoyed my afternoon going back in time to the island of Chincoteague. Fun read.
LibraryThing member inkcharmed
I remember really loving these books.
LibraryThing member benuathanasia
I love this story. Very simple and cute. I can't believe it took me fifteen+ years after my mother first gave it to me to read it (especially since I've been to Chincoteague and Assateague). I just find it interesting that Misty is the title character despite her limited relevance to the story.
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This is truly Phantom's story.
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LibraryThing member JenJ.
I was horse crazy growing up, so I read everything Marguerite Henry ever wrote and read most of it over and over again. Surprisingly, I didn't remember the plot of this book very well although, as I listened, I found some of the illustrations popping into my head (like Grandpa trimming his ear
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hair). A very simple story, really, about Paul and Maureen, a brother and sister on Chincoteague Island, and the two horses they love - the Phantom and her filly Misty. While the book is named after Misty, the focus is actually mostly on the Phantom who serves as a very engaging character with her wildness never being quite tamed.

Listened to the Recorded Books CD edition read by John McDonough. McDonough does a competent job of differentiating the voices of the different characters, although his portrayal of Grandma was on the verge of annoying.
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LibraryThing member TnTexas
Overall the kids and I enjoyed the book. I felt like the storyline was a bit disjointed at times which is why it got a half star instead of another full one.
LibraryThing member angierae
The wonderful story of Paul and Maureen Beebe's relationship with the wild pony, Phantom, and her foal, Misty. The book that introduced the world to life on Chincoteague Island, VA and the wild ponies of Assateague Island. A must read for horse lovers.
LibraryThing member FriendsLibraryFL
Nobody could capture the Phantom. She was the wildest mare on Assateague Island. They said she was like the wind, that the white map on her shoulders was her mark of freedom. Paul and Maureen Beebe had their hearts set on owning her. They were itching to buy and tame her; and worked hard to earn
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the money she would cost. But the roundup men had tried to capture her and for two years she had escaped them...Pony Penning Day holds a surprise for everyone, for Paul not only brings in the Phantom, but her newborn colt as well. Can Paul and Maureen possibly earn enough to buy them both?
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LibraryThing member AprilBrown
A childhood favorite re-visited.

Is the story as good as I remember? – Yes

What 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 (1940′s).

Written approximately? – 1947.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Yes! Did they ever see the Phantom again?

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? This one again has a money issue. It would help if there was a tiny prologue showing some of the money amounts listed in the book in more up to date terms. Also, some readers would like to know what happened to the real Paul and Maureen, even a good Internet search did not easily find anything.
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LibraryThing member aconant
I included this review because we are listening to "Misty" as a family on audio CD back and forth to school. The writing is just so good. The plot is interesting and holds the attention of all the children, even those that could care less about horses. We have also listened to King of the Wind and
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found it to be fascinating.
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LibraryThing member Greymowser
Loved this book when I was a kid.
LibraryThing member foggidawn
Paul and Maureen Beebe live with their grandparents, who gentle wild Chincoteague ponies for a living, but training up ponies for sail is not the same as having one of your very own. The brother and sister have their hearts set on buying a pony on the next pony-penning day -- and not just any pony,
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but the Phantom, who has resisted capture for two years running. This year, the Phantom is captured for a surprising reason: she has a foal. Will Paul and Maureen have enough money to buy both?

Confession: I never read this book as a child, though I was recommended it more than once. I had a childish aversion to it, and I was not pony crazy. So now, as an adult, I decided to read it and see what I missed. It's a nice enough story, with some action and suspense. The characters are fairly static, and the dialogue comes across as a bit old-fashioned, but I can see how the book would appeal to its target demographic. I'll definitely recommend it to horse lovers, but it's not going to become a favorite of mine.
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LibraryThing member Schmerguls
5425. Misty of Chincoteague, by Marguerite Henry (read 20 Nov 2016) My daughter Sandy mentioned to me that as a child reading this book gave her a great interest in horse stories. So I thought I should read it and to my surprise I found it quite fetching and at times moving. (Sandy also liked The
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Black Staion, which I read recently and was not at all enamored by). Misty tells a somewhat improbable story but not obviously fantasy of a wild pony on the Virginia island named in the title who is tamed, with Misty, her colt, by two kids who are hard workers. They live with their grandparents . There is some dialect talk but it is not as excessive as in some children's books and did not detract much from the simple and at times poignant story.
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LibraryThing member SheilaDeeth
Evocative of a simpler time, of childhood dreams and possibilities, and of the excitement and freedom of horses, Misty of Chincoteague is a Newbery Award Winner, recently rereleased in a 60th anniversary edition. I didn’t read this book as a child, though I longed to after buying the sequel,
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Stormy, Misty’s Foal, in elementary school. It was the first book I bought from the traveling library—together with another children’s novel called the Day the Roof fell In. Stormy stole my heart and Misty has just stolen it again!

The illustrations are cool line-drawings filled with emotion and action. The history of wild horses on an island is intriguingly and simply told. And the determination of two young children to own and tame a creature of their own, instead of simply training to sell to others, has a sense of genuine innocence together a pleasing push toward deeper feelings. These children work for what they love, respect what they are given, and recognize there’s more to life than what their desires would offer.

Simple, yet pleasingly deep, Misty is a tale for all ages with wise lessons for adults too.

Disclosure: A dear friend learned how I’d loved Stormy and bought me this book as a gift. Thank you!
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LibraryThing member SarahGraceGrzy
As a horse lover, I loved this entire series! So well written and very interesting! Based on real events.
LibraryThing member SumisBooks
Ok so this story is cute but I have some issues with it. First and foremost being WILD ANIMALS SHOULD REMAIN WILD! Nobody should be allowed to buy a wild animal, let alone children. Ok I get the Pony Penning was for population control, but come on now. As innocent as this story was intended to be
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and as well written as it was, I personally found it to give off the wrong message to younger readers.
Maybe I'm being too harsh on this book I don't know, but it just rubbed me the wrong way.
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LibraryThing member thornton37814
Paul and Maureen Beebe who live with their grandparents on Chincoteague Island dream of owning the Phantom, a horse no one caught for the past two years in the annual roundup on Assateague Island. They save to purchase the Phantom from the fire chief. Paul catches Phantom and her new foal he calls
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Misty. When they get to the sale, they find a "sold" sign on Misty, and the fire chief informs them Phantom was also sold. Through a stroke of luck, they are able to purchase them anyway. I'll leave out the rest of the plot to prevent spoilers. This childhood favorite will still charm young readers who love horse stories. It would make a good classroom read-aloud as some Outer Banks dialect is included.
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LibraryThing member jennybeast
I read this sooooo long ago, back in my little girl in love with horses phase. It's good for that.
LibraryThing member benuathanasia
Forgettable, but good while you're actually reading it.
LibraryThing member Omrythea
Well, I'm not really a horse lover, but I read this book since it is often listed as a favorite. What I found...it is a nice enough story, mildly exciting... sure to appeal to those elementary kids who adore horses.

Rating

½ (671 ratings; 3.9)

Call number

J3B.Hen
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