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Galloping Good Reads: Horses and History

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I don’t know about you, but I definitely had an obsession with ponies at a young age. I guess you could say I was a little bit of a “Horse Girl” and my reading habits definitely showed it. I remember reading Misty of Chincoteague as a little girl and only dreaming of seeing the wild ponies on an island I couldn’t quite pronounce. Who would’ve thought that I’d end up moving from Southern California to the eastern coast and find out that Chincoteague was a real place with real wild ponies?! My eight-year-old self would be positively galloping with joy!

As a former horse girl and a current local history nerd, re-reading Misty was a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with the very real islands of Chincoteague and Assateague. If you’re looking to enjoy this childhood favorite through a local history lens, take a look at Chincoteague and Assateague Islands and see the real historical photos and facts that inspired the novel. Want more fun facts? Learn about the history of Assateague’s wild ponies in Assateague: Island of Wild Ponies. You might be able to impress your child with some fun local trivia or get inspired for your next outdoor adventure!

Misty of Chincoteague-Book Cover

Misty of Chincoteague – Marguerite Henry, Ill. by Wesley Dennis

Brother and sister Paul and Maureen are captivated by the beautiful and elusive wild mare, Phantom. Hoping to capture her and win her in an auction after the annual pony swim from Assateague to Chincoteague, the duo is surprised to find that Phantom is mother to a beautiful silver colt, Misty. Will Paul and Maureen fulfill their dreams of owning this wild pony pair? Will the wild ponies cross from Assateague to Chincoteague safely? Find out in the Newberry Honor novel by Marguerite Henry!

 

Assateague Island of the Wild Ponies

Assateague: Island of Wild Ponies- Andrea Jauck & Larry Points

A great non-fiction companion for Misty fans – this full color guide to Assateague’s wild ponies and their daily lives will easily enchant the horse-curious. Be inspired to learn with easy to read print and fun facts about Assateague’s habitat and environment as well as other wildlife that enriches the life cycles of Assateague’s wild ponies!

 

Chincoteague and Assateague Islands Book Cover

Chincoteague and Assateague Islands- Nan DeVincent-Hayes and Bo Bennett

Read about the history of the communities off the coast of Virginia and Maryland through stunning historical research. Learn about the symbiotic relationship between the rich tourism of Chincoteague and the wild primitivism of Assateague complete with community contributed stories, postcards, and photos. See the development of these two thriving islands and the people who lived there then and now.

 

 

 

Across the Green Grass Fields

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Title: Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire
Format: Book
Published: January 12, 2021
Who it’s for: Adults and Teens

As with the previous 5 books in the Wayward Children series, this next novel is beautifully written in such a way that draws the reader into a fantasy world that is tempting and beautiful, but always expects more of its inhabitants than meets the eye.

Young Regan is growing up, and her parents have decided that now is the time to tell her about her genetic identity. As she grapples with this news, she hopes that she can trust Laurel with this really big secret about herself. She can’t. Regan runs to the woods between school and home, and stumbles across a strange doorway. It beckons her, but is she sure that she wants to enter? As she passes through the twisted branches, she enters Hoofland, and leaves her world behind. The supposed mythical, but very real, centaurs explain that the appearance of a human in their world means that “something’s coming”; and Regan will be expected to be a hero.

Across the Green Grass Fields is a stand alone novel in The Wayward Children series, introducing a new character. If you are curious about the first book, check out this previous blog post by Tess.

This series can be found in the adult fiction collection, but the stories will be loved by teens as well.

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The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

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The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Format: Book
Who it’s for:  Adults

Based on the true story of the Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky, this story is a love letter to Appalachia (Appa-latch-uh, not Appa-lay-cha) heritage, librarians and the blue skinned people.  Cussy Carter, otherwise known as Bluet, is one of the last remaining blue people of Kentucky and she doesn’t want to marry.  She wants to be a pack horse librarian delivering books to the mountain people in her town of Troublesome Creek.  Her father wants to make sure she is taken care of so he marries her off anyway.  The marriage does not go well and soon Cussy is living her dream delivering books and meeting all the people in her mountain community.

However, Cussy must deal with racism, poverty and the unforgiving hardship of living in 1930s Appalachia.  Cussy has blue skin and like others that are not white, she runs into the cruelty of racism.  She wants to be white and in exchange for food and protection decides to undergo experiments and experimental treatment for her blue skin which is in fact a genetic disorder called, Methemoglobinemia.

Cussy is one of the strongest, kindest characters I’ve read about recently.  She is beautiful inside and out and you want to wrap her up in a warm hug.  I really enjoyed this story of strength, compassion and, of course, librarians on horses!  I was also lucky to hear the author interviewed and found the history of the Pack Horse Library Project fascinating.  Check out her website for more information – https://www.kimmichelerichardson.com/the-book-woman-of-troublesome-creek

Find it in the catalog