Phantom: Son of the Gray Ghost

by C.W. Anderson

A groom led out a big horse, iron gray except for black and white dapples. His head was up, his eyes flashed and his hoofs spurned the earth as if he wanted to be airborne.

A thrill ran down Sally's spine - she tingled to her fingertips. A flush of excitement was in her cheeks as she asked, 'Can I try him?'

From the moment he first sees her ride, Mr. Jameson knows Sally has the courage and spirit to do Phantom justice. The big,
high-strung gray Thoroughbred is too much horse for most riders, but Sally and Phantom seem to understand one another...

Genres: Animals, Childrens, Horses

86 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

C.W. Anderson - aka Clarence William Anderson
From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence...

Clarence William Anderson (1891–1971) was an author and illustrator of children's books. Known professionally as C.W. Anderson, Anderson had an interest in horses and drawing.

Anderson started his career by illustrating for other authors, but eventually began developing texts to accompany his realistic and lively black and white drawings. He is best known for his "Billy and Blaze" book series.

The adventures of Billy and Blaze would revolve around proper care of the horse, while teaching a lesson. Anderson would go to great lengths to give accurate information. He would even go on to write Heads Up, Heels Down as a training tool for young horse lovers. All of the stories Anderson wrote would be based on true stories or people that Anderson knew, only the plots were fiction.

By the end of Anderson's life, he had written and illustrated over thirty-five horse books, and also had created covers for the Saturday Evening Post.

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sally agrees to trade her bay horse for a big gray thoroughbred. Little does she realize what a prize she's acquired. Over the months with help from Mr. Jameson, Phantom's previous owner, they groom him to become a champion steeple jumper.

[Fan of Mr. Lemoncello's Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good book. The story is a little bit like Marguerite Henry's horse books. It has old ideas, but that is because it was written in 1969. I'm not sure if the horse was a real horse, but that would be cool if it was. It was really amazing that he jumped over that wide creek!

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

5/2/19: A quick re-read for Children's National Book week.

I was always a fan of C.W. Anderson. Some of them seem a bit silly to me now but, if nothing else, I still enjoy Anderson's beautiful drawings. This book, however, is still enjoyable to me. Young women are generally paired with spirited horses in Anderson's book and this one is no exception. Sally gets Phantom, an off-the-track Thoroughbred, and turns him into a cross-country racing hunter.

[Angel Pool · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book because I don't ever think about being as brave as Sally and Phantom was. I always thought putting yourself through challenges like that. Don't ever doubt yourself. That's why this a good historical fiction book.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! So great if you like horses! :)

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely dated and repetitive but there's nothing like an old-fashioned horse story.