Maddie's Dream

Ponies of Chincoteague #1

by Catherine Hapka

Maddie is desperate to keep her favorite horse from being sold in this first book in a contemporary middle grade series in the tradition of Marguerite Henry's "Misty of Chincoteague."
Madison "Maddie" Martinez loves her weekly riding lessons, and she loves working with her favorite horse, Cloudy, every time. So she is shocked when she finds out Cloudy's former owners might want to buy her back! Maddie desperately concocts various plans to stop the sale: maybe she can raise money to buy Cloudy herself, or what if she can make the potential buyers lose interest? Maddie's online Pony Post friends--Brooke Rhodes, Hayley Duncan, Nina Peralt, who all share a love of Cincoteague ponies--can tell something is up, but at first Maddie is afraid to tell them what's happening. If she loses her only connection to Chincoteague, will they even want to be friends with her anymore?

Genres: Horses, Childrens, Middle Grade, Animals, Young Adult

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2014

About the author

Catherine (Cathy) Hapka has written more than one hundred books for children and adults, as a ghostwriter for series as well as original titles, including the Romantic Comedies Something Borrowed, The Twelve Date of Christmas, and Love on Cue. She lives in Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read some real stinkers lately, so it was a real pleasure to get lost in this realistic book about a girl who's favorite pony is for sale. This is a common problem. I used to ride as a kid about three times a month (my parents hated me) and horses I loved were constantly sold from where I got my riding lessons.

And then I worked for seven painful months at a Standardbred racing stable, and as soon as I got to know a horse -- ZAP -- out of my life forever.

I miss those horses and ponies more than I've missed any person, 'cause people are shits.

I was surprised to discover that Catherine Hapka lives (or lived) about an hour away from me. Despite my being so close to Chester County, I can never ride again due to lack of money. Also, I'm stuck caring for my crippled mother 24/7, so leaving the house for more than 90 minutes is a non-starter.

So now all the riding I do is with books like these.

The back cover claims that Cloudy is descended from that Misty from Misty of Chincoteague, but the actual story claims that she only looks like Misty. This was why the Richardson family bought her on a whim and shipped her from Chincoteague to California ...

... then promptly ruined her.

Now, about two years after the Richardsons gave up on her and sold her, they want her back, since Maddie's riding instructor got some decent training into her.

Anyway, fun little story and a great start to the series. By the way, this really has nothing to do with the Misty books, other than the publisher is the same for both series. The last few dozen pages are a teaser for the next book, and ads upon ads for other horse-related books aimed at tweets.

It's not a perfect horse story, since Maddie has WAY too many siblings and is also interested in soccer. Do kids today really get coddled by their parents like this? When I was a kid, I was forbidden to have any after school activities, since my parents refused to drive after spending all day at their jobs. I could be driven to a very limited number of places each weekend.

[Jenna Marie ~Scheming Scribbler~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this series years ago, and I loved nearly everything about it. While Maddie's character was not my favorite of the four, as she acted a bit immaturely at times, this story came close to my heart. After spending years of my childhood falling in love with ponies, only for my trainers to sell them or change barns, I sympathized so much with Maddie. I also used to adore the idea of having friends online who loved horses. I mean, how cool would it be to have a website for you and your friends to chat on about ponies? ;) While this book is not my favorite of the series, I still loved it, and will remember it forever!

[Kate Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for any pony crazy person. I can relate to maddie's love of a lesson pony they are the kindest souls to grace this earth.

[Ava]

I love this series because it is so inspiring. It makes me want to have a horse of my own.

[Ashley Covington · Rating 5 out of 5]

There may be some spoilers.



Maddie Martinez goes to horse riding lessons at Solano Stables. Her favorite horse there, a Palomino named Cloudy, Cloudy is a Chincoteague pony. Cloudy looks exactly like Misty of Chincoteague. Maddie's Mom was in the Air Force, so they needed to move every few years. Maddison never wanted to leave Cloudy though. Maddie checked in with her Pony Post friends on her laptop. Sense Maddie always moves, she made Pony Post where she could chat with her friends. When Maddie finds out that Cloudy's old owners are interested in her again, Maddie has no clue what to do. She won't let Cloudy get taken away from her. When the old family and the kids show up with lessons on Cloudy, Maddie gets even more worried. If the kids get on Cloudy, how can they help but fall in love wither her?
Ms. Emerson, the owner of Solano Stables said that Maddie could ride Cloudy for the Snack & Swim. Every summer they have that at Solano Stables, it's a ride where they go to a lake then get in with their horses then they all eat afterwards. Maddie also has soccer. When the Cascade League, calls and want Maddie to try out for them. But it's in the middle of Maddie's lesson. And if Maddie joins them, she'll have barely any time at Solano Stable! When Maddie figures out that she's going to try if she likes it or not, she gets worried. Maddie figures out Cloudy's old owners are getting more interested in getting Cloudy back. Maddie desperately asks her Pony Post friends on how she can not let that happen. Maddie does their ideas, but when Maddie find out what happens after the snack and swim, she can't believe it. Maddie hugged Cloudy.
Maddie: Long live Chincoteague ponies!
Maddie said in the Pony Post chat.


I wanna hug the author!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anna Catherman · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice children's book that, while not up to the standards of Marguerite Henry classics, does a reasonably good job of appealing to young Chincoteague Pony lovers. It feels overall like a fairly cliche young reader's horse book, but the ending was delightfully imperfect (subverting a common trope while still turning out happy). It was an okay read and a good way to revisit the literature of my childhood, but I'm not planning on continuing the series.

[Twyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favortie part was when the Richardsons deided they didn't want to buy Cloudy anymore, and Ms. Emerson wasn't actually going to sell Cloudy in the first place. M

[Robin]

Cute series. Perfect for horse crazy kids and lots of good pony info. Strikes a soft spot in me because it is about Chincoteague ponies. Looks to be aimed at a slightly younger audience than the Walter Farley books. I'll only claim every other one of these in the good reads reader challenge because they are so easy to read.

[Natalie Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is really underestimated, Maddie's dream was one of my favorite books in early middle school, and the series is probably my favorite horse series. It was very entertaining, and I was disappointed that there's not many books like this.

I would recommend this to all horse lovers 3-7th grade

[Renata Shura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute concept for the series to follow 4 friends who have never met but keep in touch via computer. The solution to the problem was a bit of a disappointment, being just a circumstance rather than something brought about by the protagonist of the story.

[M Feldpausch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was good, and I thought that it was cool that all the books are kinda connected with one another. Here are the other books. A Winning Gift, Blue Ribbon Summer, Moonlight Mile, True Rider's, The Ride Home, Back in the Saddle. I think in that order.

[Chris Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this a four because well, it was interesting but a few parts I got a little bored in, but I will finish the series because I want to finish what I started, but the ending was good.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

2014 - HB - Have It - Read It - 1 of 8 in the series

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tribute to Marguerite Henry’s famous works about Chincoteague ponies, the Ponies of Chincoteague series focuses on 21st century tween pony fanatics. Maddie and her friends, who keep in touch via an online chat site, each ride a Chincoteague pony. While the other girls have ponies of their own, Maddie relies on the kindness of her riding instructor, who typically reserves a pony named Cloudy just for Maddie to ride. In the first book of the series, Maddie's Dream, Cloudy’s previous owners - who treated her poorly before selling her - want to buy her back. Maddie is desperate to raise enough money to make an offer of her own, knowing that if she can’t, she may lose Cloudy and her friendships with the other girls.

This middle grade series shares much in common with the author’s easy reader series, The Pony Scouts. The girls in both series are enthusiastic and informed, and they solve problems by being resourceful and helping one another. Both also emphasize equestrian vocabulary by including glossaries, and both use a straightforward, no-frills writing style. It will be very natural for girls who read The Pony Scouts as new readers to move onto the Ponies of Chincoteague as fluent readers.

Though Maddie’s Dream is the first book of the series, it feels a little bit like something should come before it. The long-distance friendship among the four pony riders is not really explained, which gives the reader the sense of having missed something. The fact that Maddie only interacts with her friends online using chat speak also makes it harder for the reader to feel the importance and warmth of their friendship. The story’s main conflict is also solved way too easily after all of Maddie’s hard work and anxiety, which accomplishes and teaches nothing.

The Ponies of Chincoteague will have no trouble finding an audience, as horse books are always popular. Though this book pales in comparison to Henry’s original stories, it does provide a nice opportunity for girls to feel like they are a part of a larger community of horse and pony lovers. Ponies of Chincoteague also looks like a much more wholesome alternative to the sometimes soap opera-esque plots in the Saddle Club books.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Maddie's Dream is a well written and modern story inspired by the story Misty of Chiincoteague by Marguerite Henry. Main character Maddie is a good, strong, role model who is loyal to her friends and in love with her pony Cloudy. She will be faced with tough decisions but with help from her friends, come out on top.

Story: Maddie loves two things: soccer and the pony she rides at a local riding stable, Cloudy. When Cloudy's previous owners come to reclaim the pony, she is desperately afraid she will lose her friend. Meanwhile, a State-wide champion soccer team wants to recruit her - meaning long travel days away from Cloudy. With the support of her friends at the stable as well as the ones from her online Chincoteague riders group, she will learn how to do the right thing for both Cloudy and herself.

Maddie's character is well written. I read the story to my 11 year old and she enjoyed reading of the exploits of Maddie as she goes out riding with her pony or deals with her siblings. The conflict is light but definitely engaging: Maddie is so afraid Cloudy will return to her previous owners, people Maddie is sure wouldn't know how to care for the pony. In all, Maddie definitely feels like a tween.

In all, we both enjoyed reading this story of a Chincoteague pony and her rider.

Reviewed from an ARC.

[Julie (Let's Read Good Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Lots of tween angst when Maddie learns that her favorite lesson pony, Cloudy, might be leaving the barn and going back to her old owners. Catherine Hapka delivers another engaging, accurate horse book, this time featuring the ponies made famous in Marguerite Henry's Misty of Chincoteague.

Full review soon

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young girl who lives in California rides a Chincoteague pony at the local stable for riding lessons. Maddie is shocked when the family that sold the pony to the stable owner now wants to buy the mare back. First in a children's middle grade fiction series.

[Debbie Tink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Maddie is trying to save her faverit school pony Cloudy from being sold.
She tries lots off different ways to save Cloudy, all good in the end.

[Kati Polodna · Rating 3 out of 5]

All right, I loved Misty of Chincoteague when I was in elementary school so I had to read this. I could easily recommend this to my horse-crazy patrons.

[Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

AWESOME book! Must read! It is about a determind and horse crazy girl who loves her horse so much she is willing to do anything to save him.