Growth of a Reader

As a child, reading was mainly for school - some of those books were either a hit or a miss. But when given the chance to decide on a book for oneself, it was marvelous and it just had to be about horses. The series that ended up being the favorite was Pony Pals by Jeanne Betancourt. The characters bond over their love for ponies and create their own little group called Pony Pals - hence the title. Together they go on trail rides and explore their little town. Within each book, a problem presents itself and together the Pony Pals work to help each other solve it. The problems that come up in the series are, to a child, maybe some of the hardest kinds of problems to deal with, such as: What do you do when a pony is sick? Is it a simple dietary issue or sprained ankle? Or just an upset stomach?

A Pony in Trouble by Jeanne Betancourt

Pam's father is a veterinarian, so she is used to being around sick animals. But when her own pony gets sick, Pam needs her Pony Pals more than ever. Her Pony Pals, Anna and Lulu, try to figure out what is making the pony sick. Can the Pony Pals solve the mystery? Will Lightning the pretty pony, be a pony in trouble for long?

 The Pony and the Lost Swan by Jeanne Betancourt
After they see a mother swan and her three cygnets swimming in a local lake, the Pony Pals decide to clean up the trash around the lake to give the swans a better home.

The Pony and the Haunted Barn by Jeanne Betancourt
Pam and her Pony Pals have found the perfect new hideout...or so they think. The mysterious barn they discover while exploring a new trail in the woods near an old ghost town turns out to be creepier than they thought. Something unseen trips Pam's Pony, Lightning, a chain rattles, the door bangs shut, and a storm blows in out of nowhere.

Not only that, the girls can't seem to find the barn after that day---though they are sure they are in the right spot. The ponies are frightened. Do they sense the presence of something the girls can't see?

No Ponies in the House! by Jeanne Betancourt
It's a mystery! When 5-year-old Rosalie stops by to show Lulu her brand-new pet, the hamster makes a run for it. Lulu is sure it's somewhere in her house. But if her grandmother finds it before the girls do there's going to be BIG trouble...and poor Rosalie will have to give up the only pet she's ever had. Never fear! There's no mystery too big (or small) for three best friends and their ponies to solve. Lulu's pony, Snow White can sniff out a hamster in a second. But how can the pony help if the hamster is indoors? Snow White may have to go where no pony has gone before.

Ponies on Parade by Jeanne Betancourt
Anna has a great idea for the town's first ever Pony Parade. Ten lucky artists get to paint a lifesize copy of a pony. The painted ponies will be auctioned off at the Fall Festival and the money goes to the local fire department. The Pony Pals think Anna is a sure winner. She's the best artist in school! But Anna's mother has other ideas. No parade until Anna finishes her research paper. Ugh! And to make matters worse, Tommy Rand is up to his old pranks. Would he really sabotage all of Anna's hard work and destroy her pony design--just to be mean? Not if the Pony Pals can stop him!

 

 

These light sweetheart reads are a good find for young readers who enjoy friendship, nature, and ponies. So, check this book series out before the summer ends. Then maybe by next summer a new book series will catch your eye. Who knows - maybe that next series could be Vampire Kisses. 

After a few years of reading the Pony Pals series, the encouragement of a parent to try something new and help expand the reading palate led from horses to the supernatural – specifically vampires. The vampire series that became the all-time favorite - and still number one for this reader - is Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber. This may not have been the series that started the vampire book love, but it was the series that has been re-read numerous times. It is the classic girl meets boy, boy is mysterious, girl likes boy. Within this teen romance vampire series, readers will follow a goth teenager, who is all about black clothes, being an outcast, and wanting to become a vampire. She will meet some interesting characters from human to vampire, and readers will enjoy them from the peppy, the colorful, the rich, the snobbish, to the devilish and sweet-talking. She may even get a kiss from a vampire in the end!

Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber
In her small town, dubbed "Dullsville," sixteen-year-old Raven -- a vampire-crazed goth-girl -- is an outcast. But not for long... The intriguing and rumored-to-be haunted mansion on top of Benson Hill has stood vacant and boarded-up for years. That is, until its mysteriously strange new occupants move in. Who are these creepy people -- especially the handsome, dark, and elusive Alexander Sterling? Or rather, what are they? Could the town prattle actually ring true? Are they vampires? Raven, who secretly covets a vampire kiss, both at the risk of her own mortality and Alexander's loving trust, is dying to uncover the truth. Ellen Schreiber's spooky and stirring romance tells the story of two outsiders who fall in love in a town where conformity reigns, and ends with a shocking surprise.

 Kissing Coffins by Ellen Schreiber
Sixteen-year-old Raven, a vampire-obsessed goth girl, searches for her true love, Alexander, who she has learned is a real vampire.

Vampireville by Ellen Schreiber
As teen vampire twins Luna and Jagger try to trick a high school soccer star into bonding with Luna for eternity, sixteen-year-old goth girl Raven Madison and her vampire boyfriend, Alexander, strive to save him.

 

 

Now with summer wrapping up, I hope this story of reading growth has inspired another reader to grow and explore the books the library has to offer. In the years that have gone by since Pony Pals and Vampire Kisses, my reading has never stopped growing!

Check that next book out, flip those pages, and read those words. More books are always coming to the library just waiting for their next reader to read a new story!

- Alana, Lawrence Branch