This is a story about a small stallion named Black Gold. He may be small, but he isn't bad. This is a heart breaking story. The boldest words I remember are the end. Black Gold's leg snapped because of a hoof crack. The words that I will always remember is: "He finished the race with three legs and a heart" That had made me cry. People of all ages should enjoy this book. Take my advice and BUY THIS BOOK!

Black Gold is a top-rated horse story told with heart, about a wonderful race horse with a will to win that ends up being stronger than anything else imaginable. Marguerite Henry's book is one of the best she has written. From childhood to adulthood, it will satisfy any horse lover's desire for a perfect story with a hero to remember.

Filled with excitement, sorrow, and happy moments, this true story is bound to awaken your heart. What book could this be? Black Gold of course! The story's about a small Thoroughbred colt that seemed to have no potential, but turned out to be one of the greatest Thoroughbreds of all time! With the careful hands of Jaydee, Black Gold's determined jockey, Black Gold finishes his last race with "three legs and a heart."
In the beginning, Jaydee and Black Gold have two separate stories in the same book. In fact, Black Gold doesn't even come into the story until a few chapters in. His mother, U-see-it, wins her owner, and soon to be Black Gold's owner, purses that just grow and grow. Black Gold's soon to be jockey shows that he will never give up right in the beginning of the book. The ending has a horrid feel to it, but still Marguerite Henry, the auther will warm your heart in a way that is unforgettable.
Black Gold shares the message that you can never give up, no matter how hard the times are. When Black Gold is in serious pain, he doesn't give up. When Jaydee is put down, he doesn't give up, and when anyone has a challenge, they shouldn't give up either. They should overcome it with bravery and strength.

My seven year old daughter and I finished this book last night. She was very sad to have it end. What a wonderful account of the devastating storm that hit the islands of Assateague and Chincoteague and the relief efforts to rebuild the islands and the devastated wild pony population.

It was very heartwarming to read in the epilogue excerpts from actual letters of children that sent in their hard earned money to buy back the ponies sold at previous Pony Penning Days to replenish the wild herds of Assateugue. These children and others like them preserved a tradition that had been maintained for over 100 years and because of them continues on today. In fact, Marguerite Henry dedicated this book to those very children that made it all possible.

Marguerite Henry does an excellent job of using local dialect in the telling of the story, especially with Grandpa and Grandma. You can not help but become involved in the characters and their concerns become very real to you.

I read this book many many years ago and had forgotten a great deal of the story. One of the things I did remember was Misty being put in Grandma's kitchen to wait out the storm.

If you are like me and read this book many years ago I encourage to reread it. You will be glad you did.

This book is about a horse named Misty. She is going ot have a colt. The colt is a Mare and her name is Stormy. Stormy`s family tree is made up out of The Phantom and the pied piper had Misty, Misty and Wings had Sormy. But there was a flood and the flood killed Wings. He was a good horse untill he drounded in the flood. The reason Misty didn`t die was because she was put into a house. The house belonged to Mrs. and Mr. Bebbe. They had two grandchildren. Their names were Paul and Maureen. Paul and Maureen were very excited that Misty was going to have a colt. But Grandpa thought that Misty`s colt was dead inside of her. Grandma said that she was not even going to die when she was born.

If you like to read you will like this book as much as I did. The reason I liked this bookwas because it is a true story and it was written before it happened. This book was a little better than Misty of Chincoteague. I loved reading this book because it was interesting. It also was filled with action and excitment.

The theme of this story was to save Misty from the flood. If they didn`t save Misty her foal won't be able to talk Misty's place as the wild mare.

No pony would want to be pregnant in the middle of the big hurricane that killed almost everything in Chincoteague and Assateague. Paul and Maureen love the fact that Misty is going to have a baby until the storm hits. When Paul and Maureen leave Misty, everyone is extremely worried. Misty needs to find a way to survive along with her unborn baby! This is a wonderful story that will have you hanging on to every page. I recommend this book to anybody who has read Misty of Chincoteague or anyone who likes horse stories.

Ah, what can I say about such an important book in my life?

Hans is a poor boy who dreams of riding dressage with the Spanish Riding School of his native Vienna. He attains his goal through hard work and perseverance, by his own merit and against the odds. The book is beautifully written with a flowing narrative style, engaging for both adults and children. The illustrations are the best I have seen from Dennis, at times humorous, at times scholarly, and always precise.

I did my senior thesis on the birth of dressage in the Renaissance, but without this book I would never have even heard of Xenophon, or the passage, or known that the Ancient Greeks rode without stirrups. I illustrated it with my own copies of Wesley Dennis's drawings from this book.

Also highly recommended as horsey history, "Gaudenzia, Pride of the Palio" by the same writer/illustrator team.

If you would like to find out more about Classical dressage please check out Laura Camins's "Glorious Horsemen" and Walter Leitdke's "Royal Horse and Rider," both of which deal with the birth of dressage in the Renaissance according to modern scholarship, and by extension the noble equestrian ballets of which the Spanish Riding school is the last still extant. Did you know that the Louvre's great central courtyard was designed to accommodate horse ballets exactly like those in this book?

When I first read this book, when I was about seven years old, I owned a Lipizzan mare of my own. She was for me what Borina was to Hans, my schoolmaster. She was small and gray, with a wide girth, branded, and very long lived. She would do caprioles as we galloped through the field, I kid you not. Were it not for this book I would not have the words to describe her, to remember her like this, and so I am indebted Marguerite Henry.

To bring one spark of beauty into the world is worth a life's dedication, is it not? Certainly mine.

Read the book and you will understand.

If you have any doubts about purchasing this book, forget them and buy it now. I was given this book when I was a child (20 years ago) and it thrills to me to this day. Ms. Henry writes with such imagery that you find yourself caught up as Hans, the young boy who is captivated by the stallions. Not only is the writing terrific, but so is the artwork. This story is one of my all-time favorites.

This is the story of Hans, a young Austrian boy that wishes more than anything to work with the "Dancing White Horses," the Lipizzaner stallions of Vienna. In the story he is accepted to the Spanish Riding School, the finest riding school in the world, and then the work begins. Teamed with his patient instructors, one two-legged and one four-legged, Hans sets out to achieve his dream and prove to everyone that any goal is possible with dedication. This is my all-time favorite horse story; the characters are believeable, the illustrations are gorgeous, and the story is timeless.

I plan to get the Misty books for my daughters when they're old enough...Ms. Henry gave Misty life, and her books are a must for any young person undergoing their animal loving phase...and even for those who don't love animals! They are a good read all around, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to the children of friends.

I decided to read this book because I have heard about this book from my friends. I also read this because it had been awarded a Newberry Honor award. The day I was introduced to it, I thought it was boring. How I was wrong! Instead, the book was very interesting.
The main character of this book was a young, mute boy called Agba, but the most important main character is a horse called the Godolphin Arabian, or Sham. Agba is a kind boy who took care of Sham from when he was born, and after Sham's mother died. Sham becomes known as the fastest horse in his stables. Sham is a spirited horse that only listens to Agba, and no one else. I feel sorry for Agba because he ia a mute.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was fun reading about Sham and his descendants. The story plot was great. It also talked about what happened to Agba and Sham, and about their trip to France, and then England. This story was told by the owner of Sham's descendant. That's why this book received a Newberry Honor Award.

this has to be the most wonderful book ive ever read.from the moment i read it,my mind was instantly taken to the stables of morroco(sp?)with his beutiful horse.it is so imaginative,adventorous that you'll want to read it over and over.i think its one of the best books ive ever read.im reading it for the..........20th time i think:)you'll love this book if you love horses.it is very discreptive and i highly recommend this book to people,horsey or not.hope you read it.buy it,you won't regret it:0)

This book is about so much more that just horses. It is about unconditional love and about seeing the beauty in everyone and everything. You start feeling what Agba felt and what Sham felt. Only a lucky few have a relationship with their horse like Agba had with Sham and I am one of those lucky ones. Not only to own but to be friends with something as beautiful and proud as a horse is truly remarkable. Even though Agba couldn't speak he communicated with Sham in a way that pulls at your heartstrings. You just have to read it.

This book is about a little girl Maureen and her brother Paul who live with their grandparents. A ship called,The Galleon has a whole bunch of ponies on it. The ship gets shipwrecked in a storm and everybody drowns except most of the ponies. The ponies swim ashore an island called Assateague Island. There they live a good life for hundreds of years until humans come. Paul and Maureen are some of them. There's a day called Pony Penning Day. A pony called, The Phantom. Paul and Maureen want want to buy the Phantom but she has a colt and they don't know if they have enough money to buy both horses. On Pony Penning Day they find out that the Phantom and her colt are already sold. They go to the fire cheif and see a young boy and his father. They stop and say they are looking for a little boy and girl whowere going to buy the Phantom and her colt Misty. I liked this book because it tells you that when you want something the best thing to do to do is heip someone. If you want to find out the end of this book ,read it !!!!!!!!!!!!

JESSICA REEVES

This book takes place both in Assateague and Chincoteague islands. Maureen and Paul Beebee happen to go to Chincoteague Island with Grandpa Beebee. As they are there they come across the beautiful wild herd of horses! Suddenly the most wild mare, The Phamtom comes racing across! As Pony Penning Day is nearing both Maureen and Paul decide to raise enough money to buy the Phantom. When Pony Penning day arrives Paul not only rounds up the Phantom herself...but her filly Misty too! As Maureen and Paul are ready to buy both the Phantom and Misty, tradgedy strikes. Misty is sold!!! How can this be? Will Maureen and Paul ever have their wish? Read and find for yourself!!

A fast paced book that you will not be able to put down! A little too predicting and easy but a great book for any horse lover. I definatly suggest you buy this book today!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~MISTY OF CHINCOTEAGUE~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This book is as exciting and touching today as it was when it was first published, in 1947. First of all, there`s the startling discovery that Western mustangs are not America`s only "wild" horses- the feral ponies of Assateague, off the coast of Virginia, also qualify! Henry begins the story with the possible origin of Misty`s ancestors: they may have been the survivors of a shipwrecked Spanish galleon. She then brings the tale up to the 20th century and introduces young Paul and Maureen Beebe, who are longing to keep a pony for themselves, instead of merely breaking them in for others. The rest of the book deals with their efforts to do just this. Paul has his heart set on the wild mare Phantom, but the siblings hav`nt reckoned on the attachment they develop to her young foal, Misty. The author is expert at capturing the depth of feeling that one can have for an animal, especially that of a child or youth who has just discovered this phenomenon. As well as being informative about Assateague and its neighboring island, Chincoteague[home of the Beebe family], and the annual Pony Penning Day round-up, Henry gives the reader a realistic picture of two young people dealing with a real moral dilemma: whether to give the Phantom her freedom. Misty is a rewarding book, no matter if you`re a child or an adult when you read it. I also give high marks to its two sequels. There just are not many writers like Marguerite Henry these days.

Born To Trot is one of my favorite books! I have read this book twice and it's one of the best books I've ever read! It's based on a true story and I think you'll enjoy this book a lot.

From the moment you pick up "Born To Trot" you can't put it down! Your instantly transported back into time and stuck by Gibson White's (stories man charecter) side. It's packed with a ton of horse info, about history's greats: Hambletonian, Rosalind and Greyhound. But this book, you won't be disappointed!

This book is insanely wonderful!I love it!I liked how it was two stories in one.This book is a perfect example on M. Henry's wonderful writing ability.This book,King of the Wind,and Black Gold are my hands-down favorite Marguerite Henry books.

I read the Thoroughbred Legends book on Exterminator and in it, the author mentions a book that she enjoyed in her earlier days about this old time racehorse, written by Mildred Pace. I found it had been reissued and was available on Amazon. However, this new version of the book was re-edited to be suited to adults who were just learning how to read, which I believe is a great idea. Long syllable words are replaced by short syllable words and sentences are very short. But understand that this is early elementary level reading.

The concept of the new version is great, but if you are interested in learning more about Exterminator, this one probably won't be satisfying to you.

This is the only book I remember reading as a young child. I probably read it 20 times. I have no idea where my old copy is, but I'm ordering one for me and one for my nieces. It was a GREAT story! Both happy and sad.

I first read this book as a child of about 8. Throughly enjoyed the story then. Remembered that it brought tears to my eyes each time I read it. Although it's been many years since I've read the story, I'm sure it still has the same impact. Waiting for the book to arrive so that I may enjoy it again. Great read for all ages.

Very good book, I own it. Excellent information at hand at any time. Origins, colors, uses and more of each breed. Just not enough color and I think it is a bit too long written for younger riders and horse lovers alike. Otherwise it would have gotten five stars for older enthusiasts but four is quite well overall.

I still have my original, well-worn, copy from my days as a horse-crazed pre-adolescent. I remember looking at the illustrations for hours, memorizing every detail of each breed pictured. I don't recall ever reading the text however, and now as an adult who is reading it to my horse-crazed six-year-old girl, I know why! While the descriptions of the various breeds are extremely well-written, it is definitely for older children and adults (if it is to be fully understood and appreciated). There is a lot of fascinating history, chronicalling the very beginnings of many of the breeds but the language and vocabulary is sophisticated and rather esoteric in its tone. And while I can appreciate it now, I certainly understand why I was less than enthusiastic about reading the lengthy text as a youngster.

Nevertheless, The Album of Horses is, and will always be, the definitive volume on the breeds of horses with which we are most familiar. It's a classic!

If you want a good book to encourage your children's love of horses buy this book for them. It is one of the best kids' horse books of all time (with Misty and Black Beauty)

I must be romping through my third childhood because I still love this classic equine tale about the founder of a truly
American breed of horse. I enjoyed it now just as much as when I was young; Henry's story holds up with successive readings
since the human emotions are sincere, and the dramatic events are true. The young protagonist, Joel, has a passion for horses; as a young man he dreams of finding his beloved, Lil Bub, the first Morgan colt whom no one wanted.

Even more, this is a story of Vermont--famous for its Green Mountains and courageous patriots--during the War of 1812. Later on in the story we witness a brief but triumphant presidential visit, where the Morgan horse was publically recognized.

Plenty of dialogue, short chapters and excellent b/w sketches by Wesley Dennis combine to give us a delightful gallop into the Yankee past. No one knows for certain who sired the "little" colt, whom only a poor boy could admire, but tales of his racing speed and pulling strength quickly made him a local legend, with farmers eager to get stud rights. Like BLACK BEAUTY this book is written for kids and horse lovers of all ages. PS: Because they are so strong and fast, Morgans are used in the National Park Service.

The story line is very lovely, a book about the strong bond between a boy and the sire of a truely noble breed of horses: the Morgan. It is based on a true story. Readers should be warned that some of the characters are made out to be very steriotypical Vermont poor folk *limited vocabulary and wearing scraps of leather for shorts, ect. ect. ect.* and may be offended by such. I myself have heard several complaints on this. However, the overall effect does present a believable story. Worth looking into.

This book was pretty good,but could be compared to King of the Wind and Born to Trot.This book was a good book,but not the best of Marguerite Henry's books.King on the Wind and Born to Trot are much more exciting to read.All in all,I liked the book,but found it boring in some parts.I am still a faithful M.H. reader.