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    Misty of Chincoteague
    Misty of Chincoteague
    Misty of Chincoteague
    Ebook174 pages1 hour

    Misty of Chincoteague

    By Marguerite Henry and Wesley Dennis

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Marguerite Henry’s beloved story of a wild horse’s gentle colt—winner of a Newbery Honor!

    On the island of Chincoteague, off the coasts of Virginia and Maryland, lives a centuries-old band of wild ponies. Among them is the most mysterious of all, Phantom, a rarely-seen mare that eludes all efforts to capture her—that is, until a young boy and girl lay eyes on her and determine that they can’t live without her.

    The frenzied roundup that follows on the next Pony Penning Day does indeed bring Phantom into their lives, in a way they never would have suspected. Phantom would forever be a creature of the wild. But her gentle, loyal colt Misty is another story altogether...
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAladdin
    Release dateDec 11, 2012
    ISBN9781442487994
    Author

    Marguerite Henry

    Marguerite Henry (1902–1997) was the beloved author of such classic horse stories as King of the Wind, Misty of Chincoteague, and Stormy, Misty’s Foal, and her work has won several Newbery Awards and Honors. 

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    Reviews for Misty of Chincoteague

    4.5/5

    54 ratings24 reviews

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    • 4/5
      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, just like it always used to.
    • 3/5
      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 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.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      I remember really loving these books.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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, 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.
    • 4/5
      Loved this book when I was a kid.
    • 5/5
      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 found it to be fascinating.
    • 5/5
      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 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.
    • 4/5
      A kid classic I had never read! Enjoyed my afternoon going back in time to the island of Chincoteague. Fun read.
    • 4/5
      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 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.
    • 4/5
      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 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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 1/5
      I have been reading this with my 4th grader as assigned homework.

      This book is not at all engaging. it is hard to follow especially if you don't know local country jargon, horse, and ship terminology.
    • 5/5
      It was amazing and I love it so much!! Amazing!!
    • 5/5
      Such a powerful story...it made me cry way more than I expected...
    • 1/5
      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 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.
    • 5/5
      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, 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!
    • 4/5
      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 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.
    • 5/5
      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 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.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this just as much, this time, as I did as a young girl. What a wonderful story!
    • 2/5
      Boring horse book.
    • 5/5
      As a horse lover, I loved this entire series! So well written and very interesting! Based on real events.
    • 5/5
      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? – 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.

      1 person found this helpful

    Book preview

    Misty of Chincoteague - Marguerite Henry

    PART ONE

    BEFORE MISTY

    Chapter 1

    LIVE CARGO!

    A WILD, ringing neigh shrilled up from the hold of the Spanish galleon. It was not the cry of an animal in hunger. It was a terrifying bugle. An alarm call.

    The captain of the Santo Cristo strode the poop deck. Cursed be that stallion! he muttered under his breath as he stamped forward and back, forward and back.

    Suddenly he stopped short. The wind! It was dying with the sun. It was spilling out of the sails, causing them to quiver and shake. He could feel his flesh creep with the sails. Without wind he could not get to Panama. And if he did not get there, and get there soon, he was headed for trouble. The Moor ponies to be delivered to the Viceroy of Peru could not be kept alive much longer. Their hay had grown musty. The water casks were almost empty. And now this sudden calm, this heavy warning of a storm.

    He plucked nervously at his rusty black beard as if that would help him think. We lie in the latitude of white squalls, he said, a look of vexation on his face. When the wind does strike, it will strike with fury. His steps quickened. We must shorten sail, he made up his mind.

    Cupping his hands to his mouth, he bellowed orders: Furl the topgallant sail! Furl the coursers and the maintopsail! Shorten the fore-topsail!

    The ship burst into action. From forward and aft all hands came running. They fell to work furiously, carrying out orders.

    The captain’s eyes were fixed on his men, but his thoughts raced ahead to the rich land where he was bound. In his mind’s eye he could see the mule train coming to meet him when he reached land. He could see it snaking its way along the Gold Road from Panama to the seaport of Puerto Bello. He could almost feel the smooth, hard gold in the packs on the donkeys’ backs.

    His eyes narrowed greedily. Gold! he mumbled. Think of trading twenty ponies for their weight in gold! He clasped his hands behind him and resumed his pacing and muttering. The Viceroy of Peru sets great store by the ponies, and well he may. Without the ponies to work the mines, there will be no more gold. Then he clenched his fists. We must keep the ponies alive!

    His thoughts were brought up sharply. That shrill horse call! Again it filled the air about him with a wild ring. His beady eyes darted to the lookout man in the crow’s-nest, then to the men on deck. He saw fear spread among the crew.

    Meanwhile, in the dark hold of the ship, a small bay stallion was pawing the floor of his stall. His iron shoes with their sharp rims and turned-down heels threw a shower of sparks, and he felt strong charges of electricity. His nostrils flared. The moisture in the air! The charges of electricity! These were storm warnings—things he knew. Some inner urge told him he must get his mares to high land before the storm broke. He tried to escape, charging against the chest board of his stall again and again. He threw his head back and bugled.

    From stalls beside him and from stalls opposite him, nineteen heads with small pointed ears peered out. Nineteen pairs of brown eyes whited. Nineteen young mares caught his anxiety. They, too, tried to escape, rearing and plunging, rearing and plunging.

    But presently the animals were no longer hurling themselves. They were being hurled. The ship was pitching and tossing to the rising swell of the sea, flinging the ponies forward against their chest boards, backward against the ship’s sides.

    A cold wind spiraled down the hatch. It whistled and screamed above the rough voice of the captain. It gave way only to the deep flump-flump of the thunder.

    The sea became a wildcat now, and the galleon her prey. She stalked the ship and drove her off her course. She slapped at her, rolling her victim from side to side. She knocked the spars out of her and used them to ram holes in her sides. She clawed the rudder from its sternpost and threw it into the sea. She cracked the ship’s ribs as if they were brittle bones. Then she hissed and spat through the seams.

    The pressure of the sea swept everything before it. Huge baskets filled with gravel for ballast plummeted down the passageway between the ponies, breaking up stalls as they went by.

    Suddenly the galleon shuddered. From bow to stern came an endless rasping sound! The ship had struck a shoal. And with a ripping and crashing of timber the hull cracked open. In that split second the captain, his men, and his live cargo were washed into the boiling foam.

    The wildcat sea yawned. She swallowed the men. Only the captain and fifteen ponies managed to come up again. The captain bobbed alongside the stallion and made a wild grasp for his tail, but a great wave swept him out of reach.

    The stallion neighed encouragement to his mares, who were struggling to keep afloat, fighting the wreckage and the sea. For long minutes they thrashed about helplessly, and just when their strength was nearly spent, the storm died as suddenly as it had risen. The wind calmed.

    The sea was no longer a wildcat. She became a kitten, fawning and lapping about the ponies’ legs. Now their hooves touched land. They were able to stand! They were scrambling up the beach, up on Assateague Beach, that long, sandy island which shelters the tidewater country of Virginia and Maryland. They were far from the mines of Peru.

    Chapter 2

    THE ISLAND OF THE WILD THINGS

    THE PONIES were exhausted and their coats were heavy with water, but they were free, free, free! They raised their heads and snuffed the wind. The smell was unlike that of the lowland moors of Spain, but it was good! They sucked in the sharp, sweet pungence of pine woods, and somewhere mixed in with the piney smell came the enticing scent of salt grass.

    Their stomachs were pinched with hunger, but the ponies did not seek the grass at once. They shook the water from their coats. Then they rolled back and forth in the sand, enjoying the solid feel of the land.

    At last the stallion’s hunger stirred him to action. He rounded up his mares, and with only a watery moon to light the way, he drove them through the needle-carpeted woods. The mares stopped to eat the leaves of some myrtle bushes, but the stallion jostled them into line. Then he took the lead. So direct was his progress it seemed almost as if he had trodden here before. Through bramble and thicket, through brackish pools of water, he led the way.

    The moon was high overhead when the little band came out on grassy marshland. They stopped a moment to listen to the wide blades of grass whisper and squeak

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