Really Riding!

Pony Scouts

by Catherine Hapka, Anne Vittur Kennedy (Illustrator)

Today is a special day for the Pony Scouts. It's time for Meg and Annie's first-ever riding lesson on Jill's farm, followed by a Pony Scouts sleepover! With so many fun things planned, the girls couldn't ask for any more excitement . . . until a small surprise turns out to be their biggest thrill of all. Young readers will love this sweet new addition to the I Can Read! Pony Scouts series. With easy-to-read text and beautiful, vibrant art, pony scouts: really riding! is the perfect story for pony lovers everywhere.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Audiobook, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

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

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼ · Rating 5 out of 5]

~ borrowed from the Library

REALLY RIDING is at the beginning 2nd Grade reading level. There are 557 words and like all the books in this series there are Accelerated Reader tests available to see how children are progressing.

This book is all about a sleepover. Meg and Annie ride the bus home with Jill to her house. The best part about the visit is that there will be riding and ponies!!! Jill's mom pairs Meg with Sparkle, a gray pony who loves carrots. Timid Annie gets to ride the pinto, Splash.

They ride and take pictures, feed and groom the ponies before doing other sleepover activities.

Of particular note is that that they meet the new pony, Rose. Rose is a fat, round pony who plays a role in the big surprise that's coming.

~
This is a nice little primer. The artwork is really appealing and I like that there's a real story and that there is some character differentiation.

There is horse information throughout this series, and the girls are always shown taking an active and sometimes tiring part in the care of the animals.

This series is pretty girl-oriented. All males are relegated to small roles. Horse and Pony loving readers will enjoy the new addition to the stables.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series. Fortunately, it's better than the first book. Girls were shown riding without hard hats in the first book (albeit, in a fantasy sequence), but here the hats are on their little damn heads. The kids pay attention to the cute little dog that was mostly ignored last time. Neither the dog nor the cat is mentioned in the text.

Although a cute book designed to encourage new readers of English (primarily small girls), it does foster some unrealistic expectations. Just because your classmates have ponies mean that you will get free riding lessons. I went to school (located in Newtown Square) with a DUPONT and didn't get jack shit.

The surprise really isn't a surprise. Even an eight year old could figure it out.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ponies and riding are topics of definite interest to this age group, so the subject matter alone makes them a sure hit. I also really like the way vocabulary is incorporated into each story. Words that might be new or unfamiliar are defined on the last page in a short glossary. The illustrations are warm and inviting, but they also really supplement some of the new information introduced by the text. The girls are shown wearing helmets, mounting ponies, and windmilling their arms in what I assume is the correct way to do such things in real life. The books also provide lessons on friendship, perseverance, and animal care, and throws in occasional snacks and sleepovers to supplement all the pony stuff. I am not a pony person, but these books are new favorites for me.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book for beginning readers about a group of girls who form a club called the Pony Scouts and learn to ride horses. There's a fun surprise at the end of this story and our girls really enjoyed it.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has been a cute series. Happened to find one we didn't have while we were at the bookstore, so of course the kids grabbed it. This one features the girl's first riding lesson and a surprise new foal. As with the other books, there's an abbreviated glossary in the back that ties in to the story and horse information that is good to know if you are working with horses in any form. Cute way to teach kids about horses, riding, and proper barn and show etiquette.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

My horse-crazy daughter loves this series if books. We check them out from the library over and over and over! She can't read yet, and these are rated as level 2 reading, but she loves me to read them. All of these pony scout books have 'pony pointers' at the end of the story to help with horse-related words or phrases that are used (and explained) within the stories, so it is a neat/easy/natural way to read fun horse story, feed the horse-craze in your little one (if yours is like mine), all the while creating a desire to read and learn more.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Pony Scouts series is a level 2 storybook; perfect for those little girls that already LOVE horses and ponies! This is set on a level beginner readers could do for themselves and still fill that love of horses they have. This one the three girls are sleeping over and two are getting riding lessons for the first time! But after they enjoy their sleep over they go to the barn to find a pretty special "Surprize"

[Cate · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is osom !!!!!!!!111!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first grader loves the Pony Scouts series and this title is no exception. A sleepover at the farm results in a surprise.

[Kate Hastings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grades 1-2. Early reader about girls who decide to take riding lessons and are put-off my the fat grouchy horse. Little do they know what surprise awaits them.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

My horse-lovin' 8 yo LOVES these. I like them too. Good find.

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another cute read in the "Pony Scouts" series. Thumbs up!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter loves this series.

[Whole And · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet level 2 reader/story for the horse lover.
I appreciate the short horse identifier at the end of the book.