I Want a Pony [Paperback]

Product Details

• Paperback: 100 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590246666
• ISBN-13: 978-0590246668
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,711,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeanne Betancourt grew up in rural Vermont, where she spent a lot of time playing on the dairy farm across the road from her family's apartment. At the time she had no intention of becoming a writer -- she took tap dancing classes and dreamed of becoming a Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. Her rural upbringing would later provide ideas and background for many of her books.
After college and three years teaching in Vermont, Jeanne moved to New York City, where she taught junior and high school, and earned a masters degree in film studies from New York University. She wrote her first children's book in 1982, and since then has written a wide variety of acclaimed fiction and nonfiction books for young readers. Betancourt drew on her own memories and dreams while writing Kate's Turn, which focuses on a young teen's pursuit of a dance career; her own experience with dyslexia helped her create the title character of My Name Is Brian. And her rural upbringing, of course, helped her create the popular Pony Pals series.
Pony Pal fans are encouraged to visit ClubPonyPals.com to play games, make friends with other Pony Pals around the world, and enter a virtual Pony Pal world where they can ride with the Pony Pals.
Jeanne has written 76 books for children and young adults. Her most recent book is Ava Tree And The Wishes Three (Feiwel and Friends, Macmillan).
In addition to writing, Jeanne also loves to draw and paint. Her other interests include biking, and gardening. She still loves to dance.
In addition to writing books, Betancourt has also written for television, and has received six Emmy Award nominations, two Humanities citations, and the National Psychological Award for Excellence in the Media.
For more about Jeanne check out her website jeannebetancourt.com and her Facebook page.
She divides her time between an apartment in New York City and a home in Orient, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful, powerful, realistic series, May 24, 2007

By 

Talley Sue Hohlfeld - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Want a Pony (Pony Pals #1) (Paperback)

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable New Book Series for Pony Lovers, February 19, 2004

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Want a Pony (Pony Pals #1) (Paperback)

Lucinda (Lulu) Sanders has always wanted a pony, and now that she's forced to stay in the small town of Wiggins with her Grandmother while her Father explores the Amazon Jungle in Brazil, she thinks that she may just have a chance in getting what she wants. Besides, having a pony would make not having her Father alongside her much easier. Not to mention that she would be able to become Pony Pals with Anna Harley, and her pony Acorn, and Pam Crandal, and her pony Lightning. So when Lulu finds a pony that she knows is in serious danger, she wants to help her. But to help the pony, she'll need the help of two Pony Pals, and a lot of love.

Jeanne Betancourt has created a fantastic book series for young horse lovers with PONY PALS. The three girls (Pam, Lulu, and Anna) are fun characters, who will teach young horse lovers, and/or owners, how to care for ponies, treat them kindly, and just have tons of fun with both their ponies and friends. This is a must-have series for anyone who knows a horse-loving child between the ages of 5-12 years old. They will cherish this series for years to come, and it, in turn, will teach them just how hard owning a pony can be, but also how much fun owning one is.

Erika Sorocco

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I will LOVE this book to the very end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, March 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I Want a Pony (Pony Pals) (Hardcover)

This a nice book because you feel you are in it the whole time.It is a good interduction to all the Pony Pals.