I Want a Pony

I love this whole series. I'm a mom, and my daughter got them as hand-me-downs. I run around now recommending them to parents of [..] girls. (I think boys might find them annoying bcs there are no boys except rowdy ones, really.) Each book has a conflict--a realistic one. And a painful one for the characters. Conflict is the essence of drama, and the quality of the conflict is important. These are great. They could happen in real life--they DO happen in real life. Someone wants a pony but can't have one; someone has trouble in school even though she works hard; grownups make decisions that take the fun away from children. Each book also has a terrific way to resolve the problem. The girls develop a technique that helps them figure out how to solve their problem, how to change the grownups' minds. They each contribute an idea, they refine and modify one another's contributions, they make realistic assessments of what grownups would do. It doesn't always go smoothly, but the girls successfully act to get at least some of what they want. Things always come out fine in the end, but even a skeptical grownup like me would have to say that the solution is believable. It isn't just the grownups giving the kids everything they want because the author can make them. Another thing I really like is that the author does not gloss over the work and responsibility that is involved w/ owning a pony. And yet the books are never preachy. I also like that the girls DO turn to grownups when they're problem solving or when they need help. They don't assume that they have to do everything themselves (the way Harry Potter does, and the way many OTHER kid-adventure books do). And yet, the girls take a very active role in trying to change their world. A wonderful balance, really, and lots of sneakily delivered (and not preachy) lessons in how the world works, and how to influence people, and how to be responsible and trustworthy. (I want to stress tha twhile the books model a very genuine view of how the world works, and how grownups think, they are NOT preachy.) Plus, they're fun. They're nicely written--not terribly difficult. But the characters are well drawn (even the rowdy boys, who grow more fleshed-out over the life of the series). The grownups are believable. The emotions are vivid. It's just an entire wonderful series. Jeanne Betancourt has done a phenomenal job.

This pony pal book is great for horse and pony lovers. It's about a girl named Lulu who lives with her grandmother and she loves her father since her mother died when she was little. Lulu wants a pony. One day she finds a pony named Snow White caught in barb wire and 2 other friends Pam and Anna which have ponies too. Acorn and Lightning. The 3 of them become pony pals. But Snow White is not really Lulu's pony she was just taking care of her until the real owner Rema Baxter was back from boarding school.

I loved the Pony pals since 2nd grade. Some nights I would read 5 a night. Now 5 years later I wonder if there were more Pony Pals books. The first one has to be my favorit. I read this one the most. So if you think your to old tio read pony pals your wrong. Just think I'm 13 and I still read them.