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Mustang: Wild Spirit Of The West
A fictional retelling, from the point of view of Annie Bronn Johnston, of how this Nevada woman fought to protect the American wild horse, the mustang, from extinction because of professional killers who chased the horses for dog food.
224 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2001
40 people are currently reading
1850 people want to read
About the author
Marguerite Henry
124 books750 followersMarguerite Henry (April 13, 1902–November 26, 1997) was an American writer. The author of fifty-nine books based on true stories of horses and other animals, her work has captivated entire generations of children and young adults and won several Newbery Awards and Honors. Among the more famous of her works was Misty of Chincoteague, which was the basis for the 1961 movie Misty, and several sequel books.
"It is exciting to me that no matter how much machinery replaces the horse, the work it can do is still measured in horsepower ... even in the new age. And although a riding horse often weighs half a ton and a big drafter a full ton, either can be led about by a piece of string if he has been wisely trained. This to me is a constant source of wonder and challenge." This quote was from an article about Henry published in the Washington Post on November 28, 1997, in response to a query about her drive to write about horses.
Marguerite Henry inspired children all over the world with her love of animals, especially horses. Author of over fifty children's stories, including the Misty of Chincoteague series, Henry's love of animals started during her childhood. Unfortunately, Henry was stricken with a rheumatic fever at the age of six, which kept her bedridden until the age of twelve. Born to Louis and Anna Breithaupt, the youngest of the five children, Henry was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Because of her illness, Henry wasn't allowed to go to school with other children because of her weak state and the fear of spreading the illness to others. While she was confined indoors, she discovered the joy of reading. Soon afterward, she also discovered a love for writing when her father, a publisher, presented her with a writing desk for Christmas. On the top of stacks of colored paper her father wrote, "Dear Last of the Mohicans: Not a penny for your thoughts, but a tablet. Merry Christmas! Pappa Louis XXXX."
Henry's first published work came at the age of eleven, a short story about a collie and a group of children, which she sold to a magazine for $12. Henry always wrote about animals, such as dogs, cats, birds, foxes, and even mules, but chiefly her stories focused on horses.
In 1923, she married Sidney Crocker Henry. During their sixty-four years of marriage they didn't have children, but instead had many pets that inspired some of Marguerite's stories. They lived in Wayne, Illinois.
In 1947, she published Misty of Chincoteague and it was an instant success. Later, this book—as well as Justin Morgan had a Horse and Brighty of the Grand Canyon—were made into movies.
She finished her last book, Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley, just before her death on November 26, 1997 at the age of 95.
"It is exciting to me that no matter how much machinery replaces the horse, the work it can do is still measured in horsepower ... even in the new age. And although a riding horse often weighs half a ton and a big drafter a full ton, either can be led about by a piece of string if he has been wisely trained. This to me is a constant source of wonder and challenge." This quote was from an article about Henry published in the Washington Post on November 28, 1997, in response to a query about her drive to write about horses.
Marguerite Henry inspired children all over the world with her love of animals, especially horses. Author of over fifty children's stories, including the Misty of Chincoteague series, Henry's love of animals started during her childhood. Unfortunately, Henry was stricken with a rheumatic fever at the age of six, which kept her bedridden until the age of twelve. Born to Louis and Anna Breithaupt, the youngest of the five children, Henry was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Because of her illness, Henry wasn't allowed to go to school with other children because of her weak state and the fear of spreading the illness to others. While she was confined indoors, she discovered the joy of reading. Soon afterward, she also discovered a love for writing when her father, a publisher, presented her with a writing desk for Christmas. On the top of stacks of colored paper her father wrote, "Dear Last of the Mohicans: Not a penny for your thoughts, but a tablet. Merry Christmas! Pappa Louis XXXX."
Henry's first published work came at the age of eleven, a short story about a collie and a group of children, which she sold to a magazine for $12. Henry always wrote about animals, such as dogs, cats, birds, foxes, and even mules, but chiefly her stories focused on horses.
In 1923, she married Sidney Crocker Henry. During their sixty-four years of marriage they didn't have children, but instead had many pets that inspired some of Marguerite's stories. They lived in Wayne, Illinois.
In 1947, she published Misty of Chincoteague and it was an instant success. Later, this book—as well as Justin Morgan had a Horse and Brighty of the Grand Canyon—were made into movies.
She finished her last book, Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley, just before her death on November 26, 1997 at the age of 95.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
February 15, 2014
American writer Marguerite Henry, whose life spanned most of the 20th century (1902-97), was best known for her mostly nonfiction books on horse-related subjects, written for children but capable of also being appreciated by adults. Since my wife is an avid horse-lover, it's not surprising that Henry's work is up her alley. We read this one together sometime in the mid-80s (1986 is a guess), as well as the author's King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian, and I really liked both of them myself.
Here, Henry turned her attention to the plight of the mustangs, wild horses of the American West descended from stock that escaped from the Spanish conquistadores, through the lens of the life story (up to 1966, when the book was written) of the activist who was primarily responsible for preventing them from being slaughtered into extinction in the 20th century. Velma Bronn "Wild Horse Annie" Johnston (1912-1977) was born and raised in Nevada, of pioneer stock; her father was actually fed, as an infant, on the milk of a captured mustang mare when his mother was unable to nurse him, a story Annie's grandmother passed down to her. As a girl, she was given a mustang pony, Hobo, who became a cherished friend. Early in her married life, she discovered that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, at the behest of wealthy ranchers who begrudged the grass the mustangs ate, was sponsoring brutal aerial round-ups of whole herds, and selling them to the pet food industry for slaughter with the intention of totally exterminating the breed. She began a crusade to save them, beginning with her local county commissioners, that ultimately led to her testifying in the halls of Congress. Aerial round-ups were outlawed in 1959 through the passage of the "Wild Horse Annie Law;" and Federal Reserves for mustangs established in the years that followed. (She was also active in promoting the passage of the more comprehensive protections in the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971, though that took place after Henry wrote this book.)
Though the title page doesn't use the stock phrase "as told to..." the author recounts Annie's story(except for the short epilogue, "Roaming Free") in the first person, presumably with Henry's seasoned editing. The result is felicitous; the story reads like a novel, proving that real life can be as fascinating as fiction. We see Annie's pioneer roots, her childhood in Reno and on her parent's small ranch, including her harrowing bout with polio that left her face somewhat disfigured, her dawning love for neighbor boy Charlie Johnston (they married when she was about 18, and he about 24), the couple's early struggles to make ends meet, her discovery of the horrors of mustang slaughter, and the story of her activism, from its local beginnings and leading up to her dramatic, epochal testimony to a Congressional committee. (Many of the highlights of that testimony are reproduced here, including a thumbnail sketch of the contributions of the mustangs to the settlement of the West.) The reading level would be appropriate for the average middle schooler and above, but isn't too simplistic for adults, either; it's a fascinating tale, chock-full of dramatic incident. It makes the issues in the struggle crystal clear, and it's a very real testament to the power of grass-roots activism in a democracy. Annie's undergirding faith in God also comes through clearly (though other sources indicate that her personality was a bit saltier than Henry shows).
From the vantage point of 1966, Henry and Annie couldn't have foreseen that today, almost 50 years later, the mustangs would again be in the crosshairs of extinction, as the same powerful ranching and horsemeat interests (today with the additional market of overseas human consumption of horseflesh!) buy political influence in Congress and the BLM, to defy, circumvent and bend the law in order to turn back the clock. (That's a sobering reminder that, in the scope of history, there are no "lost causes," simply because there are no permanently won causes; every victory for decency and justice has to be embraced, maintained and defended by the succeeding generations, or it'll be forgotten and pushed aside by renascent indecency and injustice. :-( ). But even though the book doesn't mention the current struggle or make people aware it exists, it would still be a good starting point for educating both kids and adults about the issue. It's still a relevant book --maybe even more so today than when it was first published!
Here, Henry turned her attention to the plight of the mustangs, wild horses of the American West descended from stock that escaped from the Spanish conquistadores, through the lens of the life story (up to 1966, when the book was written) of the activist who was primarily responsible for preventing them from being slaughtered into extinction in the 20th century. Velma Bronn "Wild Horse Annie" Johnston (1912-1977) was born and raised in Nevada, of pioneer stock; her father was actually fed, as an infant, on the milk of a captured mustang mare when his mother was unable to nurse him, a story Annie's grandmother passed down to her. As a girl, she was given a mustang pony, Hobo, who became a cherished friend. Early in her married life, she discovered that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, at the behest of wealthy ranchers who begrudged the grass the mustangs ate, was sponsoring brutal aerial round-ups of whole herds, and selling them to the pet food industry for slaughter with the intention of totally exterminating the breed. She began a crusade to save them, beginning with her local county commissioners, that ultimately led to her testifying in the halls of Congress. Aerial round-ups were outlawed in 1959 through the passage of the "Wild Horse Annie Law;" and Federal Reserves for mustangs established in the years that followed. (She was also active in promoting the passage of the more comprehensive protections in the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971, though that took place after Henry wrote this book.)
Though the title page doesn't use the stock phrase "as told to..." the author recounts Annie's story(except for the short epilogue, "Roaming Free") in the first person, presumably with Henry's seasoned editing. The result is felicitous; the story reads like a novel, proving that real life can be as fascinating as fiction. We see Annie's pioneer roots, her childhood in Reno and on her parent's small ranch, including her harrowing bout with polio that left her face somewhat disfigured, her dawning love for neighbor boy Charlie Johnston (they married when she was about 18, and he about 24), the couple's early struggles to make ends meet, her discovery of the horrors of mustang slaughter, and the story of her activism, from its local beginnings and leading up to her dramatic, epochal testimony to a Congressional committee. (Many of the highlights of that testimony are reproduced here, including a thumbnail sketch of the contributions of the mustangs to the settlement of the West.) The reading level would be appropriate for the average middle schooler and above, but isn't too simplistic for adults, either; it's a fascinating tale, chock-full of dramatic incident. It makes the issues in the struggle crystal clear, and it's a very real testament to the power of grass-roots activism in a democracy. Annie's undergirding faith in God also comes through clearly (though other sources indicate that her personality was a bit saltier than Henry shows).
From the vantage point of 1966, Henry and Annie couldn't have foreseen that today, almost 50 years later, the mustangs would again be in the crosshairs of extinction, as the same powerful ranching and horsemeat interests (today with the additional market of overseas human consumption of horseflesh!) buy political influence in Congress and the BLM, to defy, circumvent and bend the law in order to turn back the clock. (That's a sobering reminder that, in the scope of history, there are no "lost causes," simply because there are no permanently won causes; every victory for decency and justice has to be embraced, maintained and defended by the succeeding generations, or it'll be forgotten and pushed aside by renascent indecency and injustice. :-( ). But even though the book doesn't mention the current struggle or make people aware it exists, it would still be a good starting point for educating both kids and adults about the issue. It's still a relevant book --maybe even more so today than when it was first published!
December 22, 2021
Dec 22, 945am ~~ Review asap.
Dec 22. 2pm ~~ Here Henry tells the story of Velma Bronn Johnston, who became known as Wild Horse Annie for her activism on behalf of the wild mustangs of the American West.
It was a good profile of a woman who cared enough to try and make a difference in the world. I was interested to learn about her, I never knew anything about her or her life. She would have been someone I would have liked to hang out with!
One note for those who prefer not to read intense scenes of animal abuse. There are plenty such scenes here, so be warned.
Dec 22. 2pm ~~ Here Henry tells the story of Velma Bronn Johnston, who became known as Wild Horse Annie for her activism on behalf of the wild mustangs of the American West.
It was a good profile of a woman who cared enough to try and make a difference in the world. I was interested to learn about her, I never knew anything about her or her life. She would have been someone I would have liked to hang out with!
One note for those who prefer not to read intense scenes of animal abuse. There are plenty such scenes here, so be warned.
December 5, 2021
I just finished rereading this book for the third or fourth time.
Our library has this particular edition, where the cover is of the painting that inspired Annie during her days of polio. I think it's absolutely perfect for this book and they should have stuck with it. Alas, my opinion was not asked.
This is a story of Wild Horse Annie's struggle to save the last few remaining mustangs of the West from round ups. It's a struggle that goes on today, however, it is not near as dire as it was back in Annie's times.
In the classic style of Henry, you become enthralled with Annie and the Mustangs' story. As someone who hopes to one day train mustangs herself, this book was a fun read.
I recommend it to all children, teens, and adults who love horses.
Our library has this particular edition, where the cover is of the painting that inspired Annie during her days of polio. I think it's absolutely perfect for this book and they should have stuck with it. Alas, my opinion was not asked.
This is a story of Wild Horse Annie's struggle to save the last few remaining mustangs of the West from round ups. It's a struggle that goes on today, however, it is not near as dire as it was back in Annie's times.
In the classic style of Henry, you become enthralled with Annie and the Mustangs' story. As someone who hopes to one day train mustangs herself, this book was a fun read.
I recommend it to all children, teens, and adults who love horses.
November 8, 2016
Annie Bronn Johnston tells her own story from early childhood in Nevada through a crippling bout with polio which left her trapped in a cast and learning later to walk again. She married a young man who worked on and purchased her parents' ranch. Annie had her own mustang, Hobo, and had grown up around them as working horses, so she was horrified to find that mustangs were being rounded up wholesale from the wild country and sent to petfood plants. Not only planes and trucks were used, but horses were roped and left trying to run dragging large tyres, a scene re-enacted in a Marilyn Monroe film.
As a part-time office worker Annie embarked on a paper crusade, calling in journalists, editors and schoolchildren as well as prominent local politicians. She could see that the Bureau of Land Management intended to allow profitable exploitation of every last wild horse to protect the interests of sheep and cattle grazers.
This memorable book is lavishly illustrated with scenes of western life and Annie's journey. You will need the attractive pictures to offset some of the more violent or distressing imagery in the text. I don't think the book is suitable for children under ten and after that, it should make young readers, particularly girls, aware that they can bring about needed change if they act with strength. Marguerite Henry also wrote of the Chincoteague - Asseteague ponies and of the Godolphin Arabian, one of the three founding fathers of the Thoroughbred.
The mustangs are not safe today as more wild mustangs and burros are in holding pens than run free, and reports abound of so-called ranchers buying truckloads at tiny sums and trucking them across the Canadian border for slaughter. Recently all but one woman on a board voted in favour of killing over forty thousand mustangs when it is estimated that only five thousand are left in the wild. This move was only averted by an internet petition and protest which went worldwide.
As a part-time office worker Annie embarked on a paper crusade, calling in journalists, editors and schoolchildren as well as prominent local politicians. She could see that the Bureau of Land Management intended to allow profitable exploitation of every last wild horse to protect the interests of sheep and cattle grazers.
This memorable book is lavishly illustrated with scenes of western life and Annie's journey. You will need the attractive pictures to offset some of the more violent or distressing imagery in the text. I don't think the book is suitable for children under ten and after that, it should make young readers, particularly girls, aware that they can bring about needed change if they act with strength. Marguerite Henry also wrote of the Chincoteague - Asseteague ponies and of the Godolphin Arabian, one of the three founding fathers of the Thoroughbred.
The mustangs are not safe today as more wild mustangs and burros are in holding pens than run free, and reports abound of so-called ranchers buying truckloads at tiny sums and trucking them across the Canadian border for slaughter. Recently all but one woman on a board voted in favour of killing over forty thousand mustangs when it is estimated that only five thousand are left in the wild. This move was only averted by an internet petition and protest which went worldwide.
October 30, 2023
Agreed with my first review, just love this one.
First review
Amazing as always. Warning: It will make you want to start a political movement.
First review
Amazing as always. Warning: It will make you want to start a political movement.
January 26, 2013
I read this book when I was about 12. It may have been the first lesson I got in the importance of the land and of animals.
August 26, 2021
My second favorite Marguerite Henry book, and this one still makes me cry every time I read it.
What the mustangs and Annie went through is heartbreaking yet also, in the case of Annie, seriously heroic and totally awesome in what she accomplished. We need people like her today to advocate for and protect mustangs and land from developers and “progress” today. This a very important read, and one I love and cherish.
Content: brutal treatment of horses; a character has polio and suffers from the aftereffects of treatment
What the mustangs and Annie went through is heartbreaking yet also, in the case of Annie, seriously heroic and totally awesome in what she accomplished. We need people like her today to advocate for and protect mustangs and land from developers and “progress” today. This a very important read, and one I love and cherish.
Content: brutal treatment of horses; a character has polio and suffers from the aftereffects of treatment
May 31, 2009
As a kid in the 1960s I looked forward to getting new horse books by Maruerite Henry for birthday or other special occasions. I was a horse fanatic.
October 7, 2011
I have only read this book twice, so forgive me if the details are a bit sketchy.
Another fictionalization of a true story, but this one's a little closer to the truth. Annie's life was full of ups and downs. I rooted for her and felt sorry for her in turns. But it's her love of horses that really makes her special to you, and how she helps the mustangs is simply inspiring.
Even today, mustangs are in danger as people in the American government do their best to undo the hard work of people like Annie. Reading this book will kindle the fire to protect them in anyone who has a heart, and that is where its true merit lies, all other considerations aside.
Another fictionalization of a true story, but this one's a little closer to the truth. Annie's life was full of ups and downs. I rooted for her and felt sorry for her in turns. But it's her love of horses that really makes her special to you, and how she helps the mustangs is simply inspiring.
Even today, mustangs are in danger as people in the American government do their best to undo the hard work of people like Annie. Reading this book will kindle the fire to protect them in anyone who has a heart, and that is where its true merit lies, all other considerations aside.
November 13, 2017
The beginning was really good then it just got boring and redundant. Honestly, during this time period there were far more pressing matters Annie should have worried about than horses. It was a tad annoying. Horses are not my fave thing and I like to stay as far from them as possible so I really didn’t care for this book. Oh well. The kids in my book club liked it so I guess that’s something.
November 5, 2023
I read this book when I was about twelve. It simultaneously made me fall more in love with Mustangs and become terrified of polio... Also, who knew that mare's milk could be used supplementary for babies?
I don't remember too much about this story, but I have read several about Wild Horse Annie, and this one was my first introduction to her. :)
I don't remember too much about this story, but I have read several about Wild Horse Annie, and this one was my first introduction to her. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2018
The remarkable true story of Wild Horse Annie's life from her time as a child with polio until her success at paying a law preventing motorised and airborne vehicles from killing wild horses in America.
This was a fantastic story to end 2018's 50 horse book challenge on.
This was a fantastic story to end 2018's 50 horse book challenge on.
October 30, 2020
I would give it a 4.5. Read aloud with my older two kids. A lot of it was probably not meant for their age group, it was pretty complicated. But the parts about Annie growing up and owning the ranch were really good.
September 21, 2022
I had read this novel several times as a child. After reading a biography of the real "Annie" earlier this year, I decided to re-read this. This is a glossed over version of the real fight that Velma Johnston took part in. Which considering it was meant for children, that appropriate. As a basic introduction into the fight to save the Mustang, this book is good. For more in depth history, the book about the real Wild Horse Annie is better. And it fits for current events, because in many areas of the western United States, Mustangs are once again being herded and captured by aircraft. And at each gathering, several are killed.
September 20, 2017
Growing up in the Midwest in the sixties, the M. Henry books were huge, especially among girls-- partly for the beautiful illustrations that my more talented schoolfriends copied, partly for the stories. The one I read most often in those days was "Mustang", though I really never understood the whole illness story because I had been taught nothing at all about polio. My mother thought that booster shots were just "money makers for the doctors" so I had no vaccines till I was 11 or 12; they wouldn't let me go to church camp without them, so I had three or four different ones on the same day and felt like hell for a week thereafter. She "didn't hold" with dentist visits, either, but that's just by the way.
Reading it again after--how many decades?--I understood the story of the main character's illness better this time around. I was also very aware of how much this book was a product of its time and place. If I had rated it back in elementary school, it would have got a solid five stars from me. Now it's more like three, due to the preponderance of flag-waving that had me skimming the last 25 pages or so, not to mention the emotionalism. Wild Horse Annie's speech before Congress was full of...interesting...takes on history.
Sad that the horse culls have begun again in the past ten years or so; let us hope that they are better carried out than the hair-raising descriptions in this book. These days that, plus the repeated references to God, would turn off many adults who would thereby refuse to let kids read it. Think of the changes in American society; they started a Congressional hearing with a prayer, and at least one committee member smoked through the session, albeit in a pipe!
Reading it again after--how many decades?--I understood the story of the main character's illness better this time around. I was also very aware of how much this book was a product of its time and place. If I had rated it back in elementary school, it would have got a solid five stars from me. Now it's more like three, due to the preponderance of flag-waving that had me skimming the last 25 pages or so, not to mention the emotionalism. Wild Horse Annie's speech before Congress was full of...interesting...takes on history.
Sad that the horse culls have begun again in the past ten years or so; let us hope that they are better carried out than the hair-raising descriptions in this book. These days that, plus the repeated references to God, would turn off many adults who would thereby refuse to let kids read it. Think of the changes in American society; they started a Congressional hearing with a prayer, and at least one committee member smoked through the session, albeit in a pipe!
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October 13, 202410/13/24: and my mother wonders why I wanted to be a conservationist so badly when she raised me on books like this!!!
I know this is a fictionalized history. But this book remains forever near and dear to me, very much a hallmark of my long-lasting love for the mustang--it's why I watched so many documentaries about things like the Great Mustang Makeover when I was 10 and why I wrote a (very bad actually) paper on the mustang question in 10th grade and it's why I often think about the relation of mustangs and the Wild West and romantic history--freedom!--still. Also why I highkey want a mustang myself (the dream is a blue roan or appy). It's Marguerite Henry being such a wonderful author and bringing Wild Horse Annie's story to life with all her courage and bravery and fighting spirit, and she is really a fantastic writer this book got me deeply patriotic LMAOO (and this is coming from the girl who just sent a messy 2k word email to her professor about westerns and RDR2 and the Wild West as a misrepresented era. for literally no reason I just felt like it.) I was SO obsessed with Lougheed's drawings as a kid and I still am upon a reread--that one spread of Annie and Charley hauling the cows out of the way of the railroad is locked in my memory. I wish the paintings (?) weren't so dark-colored printed in here bc I bet they were gorgeous pieces in color.
catch me being shocked that her name wasn't really Annie but Velma--why was she called Annie?
I also have a memory of trying to draw the horses on this cover and failing miserably lol I'm not an artist but horses...
--
feb 2020 thoughts: honestly every time I reread this I remember why younger christine loved henry's books so much.
I know this is a fictionalized history. But this book remains forever near and dear to me, very much a hallmark of my long-lasting love for the mustang--it's why I watched so many documentaries about things like the Great Mustang Makeover when I was 10 and why I wrote a (very bad actually) paper on the mustang question in 10th grade and it's why I often think about the relation of mustangs and the Wild West and romantic history--freedom!--still. Also why I highkey want a mustang myself (the dream is a blue roan or appy). It's Marguerite Henry being such a wonderful author and bringing Wild Horse Annie's story to life with all her courage and bravery and fighting spirit, and she is really a fantastic writer this book got me deeply patriotic LMAOO (and this is coming from the girl who just sent a messy 2k word email to her professor about westerns and RDR2 and the Wild West as a misrepresented era. for literally no reason I just felt like it.) I was SO obsessed with Lougheed's drawings as a kid and I still am upon a reread--that one spread of Annie and Charley hauling the cows out of the way of the railroad is locked in my memory. I wish the paintings (?) weren't so dark-colored printed in here bc I bet they were gorgeous pieces in color.
catch me being shocked that her name wasn't really Annie but Velma--why was she called Annie?
I also have a memory of trying to draw the horses on this cover and failing miserably lol I'm not an artist but horses...
--
feb 2020 thoughts: honestly every time I reread this I remember why younger christine loved henry's books so much.
August 5, 2016
Annie Bronn is her father’s daughter. Nicknamed “Pardner,” she knows from the age of three that she is destined to work with mustangs. Like the one who saved her father from an early death on the frontier. And like Hobo, the horse that is both her father’s and Annie’s mainstay even after polio threatens to destroy their entire family.
Both Annie and Hobo are survivors. It should not be a surprise, then, that when the fate of all mustangs in Nevada reaches a perilous crisis, it is Annie Bronn who steps in and speaks on behalf of America’s living legends.
Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West chronicles both the life of Annie Bronn (not just her childhood) and that of her fight to save the mustangs of the American frontier. Of all of Marguerite Henry’s books, I feel like this one is the most relevant to adults as well as to the targeted mid-grade audience. I appreciated the genuine description of Annie’s growing-up years in the west and the author’s honest and forthright depiction of the threat to the mustangs.
Both Annie and Hobo are survivors. It should not be a surprise, then, that when the fate of all mustangs in Nevada reaches a perilous crisis, it is Annie Bronn who steps in and speaks on behalf of America’s living legends.
Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West chronicles both the life of Annie Bronn (not just her childhood) and that of her fight to save the mustangs of the American frontier. Of all of Marguerite Henry’s books, I feel like this one is the most relevant to adults as well as to the targeted mid-grade audience. I appreciated the genuine description of Annie’s growing-up years in the west and the author’s honest and forthright depiction of the threat to the mustangs.
October 15, 2021
I was reading this to see if it was appropriate for my child to read. She’s 10. It’s kind of some heavy topics about illegal house killing four the sake of dog food. I love the passion to help save the horses, but this is a book for older kids.
Here are some spots that might be sensitive or talking points for kids reading this:
Annie gets polio and her parents send her away to a hospital and they couldn’t visit. She was casted for months and felt like a prisoner. I believe this kind of thing really happened, but it’s so sad..
The end of chapter 7, Annie says that Charlie is her idol. We don’t idolize anything but God.
Chapter 9-Annie says a prayer she memorized. :)
Chapter 11- there is talk about how a statue isn’t blindfolded and how it’s a good omen.
“Where in God’s name, would they be hiding” is used.
Here are some spots that might be sensitive or talking points for kids reading this:
Annie gets polio and her parents send her away to a hospital and they couldn’t visit. She was casted for months and felt like a prisoner. I believe this kind of thing really happened, but it’s so sad..
The end of chapter 7, Annie says that Charlie is her idol. We don’t idolize anything but God.
Chapter 9-Annie says a prayer she memorized. :)
Chapter 11- there is talk about how a statue isn’t blindfolded and how it’s a good omen.
“Where in God’s name, would they be hiding” is used.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2016
Okay, new favorite author and book. I loved this. The plot, the characters, and just EVERYTHING!
This book is basically a girl names Annie. Trying to save a horse breed called the mustang. What I like is that it has more than one topic. I don't want to give out any more, but this is just one. It also had her childhood and a bit of love. Of course. Gotta have it.
Why did I love this book? Well, I rarely ever cry in books. But, this book, made a couple of tears fall down throughout this book. Happy tears, and sad tears. Mostly sad tears though. It has a beautiful and inspiring story. I could not stop reading! (That is why I read it in a day)
Please read this book! It is so short and has a beautiful story!
This book is basically a girl names Annie. Trying to save a horse breed called the mustang. What I like is that it has more than one topic. I don't want to give out any more, but this is just one. It also had her childhood and a bit of love. Of course. Gotta have it.
Why did I love this book? Well, I rarely ever cry in books. But, this book, made a couple of tears fall down throughout this book. Happy tears, and sad tears. Mostly sad tears though. It has a beautiful and inspiring story. I could not stop reading! (That is why I read it in a day)
Please read this book! It is so short and has a beautiful story!
March 18, 2014
I remember reading this as a teenager and loving it. A spirited girl named Annie, who encounters more than her fair share of trials growing up, a dash of romance, and a love of horses... I was hooked. I'd have to do some research to see how accurate it is, but from what I remember, it's a good combination of story telling and history - definitely a favourite I remember.
Looking back on this as an adult, something strikes me: a woman who wasn't afraid to stand up to popular opinion, men and the government - who forged a way and changed things. We need more books like this!
Looking back on this as an adult, something strikes me: a woman who wasn't afraid to stand up to popular opinion, men and the government - who forged a way and changed things. We need more books like this!
November 18, 2014
One of my favorite books by her. Get it in hardcover if you can, because the color illustrations are breathtaking. "Wild Horse Annie" was a favorite heroine of mine in childhood, even though the story and its circumstances were old then. With the current overpopulation it's hard to believe Mustangs were once endangered, but the fact that many of them ultimately end up slaughtered has gone back to being true. The book is full of breathtaking (and occasionally heartbreaking) imagery of the wild horses. Fantastic period piece, and such a feel-good ending.
March 11, 2016
This is one of Marguerite Henry's best books. It's an engrossing story about a strong, likable, determined girl--Annie Bronn--who battles childhood polio and grows up to lead the fight to save the West's mustang population from extinction. It's a quiet story, but it has moments of deep, intense emotion--love, pain, loneliness, heartbreak, joy. The writing is beautiful and the descriptions are, again, some of Henry's best. I wish this book were better-known--it's every bit as good as "Misty of Chincoteague" and it deserves to be read more widely.
September 15, 2020
This is not the typical horse story book of Marguerite Henry, where she tells a story of a horse and the people around it. This is a story of a woman who witnessed horrific round ups of wild mustang horses in Nevada and did something about it.
It’s a great introduction for horse loving young ones that the world of horses isn’t all unicorns and rainbows. It also introduces how our government works with how bills become laws.
It is an inspiring story that an average person can make a difference.
It’s a great introduction for horse loving young ones that the world of horses isn’t all unicorns and rainbows. It also introduces how our government works with how bills become laws.
It is an inspiring story that an average person can make a difference.
October 1, 2014
This is a Marguerite Henry book that I do not remember from my childhood, and a true horse story that I really know nothing about. This book tells the life story of Annie Bronn Johnston, who was pivotal in the creation of laws and bills protecting the wild mustang from roundup and slaughter, including the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. A very interesting story for anyone with an interest in the history of the wild American mustang.
November 17, 2020
I loved learning the history of the mustang, but this book dragged on too long.
March 30, 2020
Marguerite Henry is known for writing excellent children's books and this is no exception. It is a historical fiction book about a young girl whose love for horses turns into a quest to save them.
The book starts with a history of Annie and how she had been told from a young age to respect the mustangs. She grew up hearing the stories and formed a strong bond with her own horse. The stories and her love of that horse build the foundation of what she would later do.
Annie grew up and married someone who also respected and loved the wild mustangs. She became incensed when she saw they the horses were being killed to make pet food. What was worse was the cruel way they were being destroyed. This anger gave her the power to decide to do something. It was that decision to fight her state and eventually the U.S. Government that led to the protection of wild mustangs. This book shows her struggles and fears as she started as a reluctant fighter and eventually became a strong voice for the safety of mustangs and for other animals.
Although there are some descriptions of animal cruelty, they are needed for the story. It makes the reader cheer even for Annie as she eventually helps the mustangs be protected. This is geared for children but it is also a good and quick book for adults to read or re-read. It helps us all remember the importance of wild life.
The book starts with a history of Annie and how she had been told from a young age to respect the mustangs. She grew up hearing the stories and formed a strong bond with her own horse. The stories and her love of that horse build the foundation of what she would later do.
Annie grew up and married someone who also respected and loved the wild mustangs. She became incensed when she saw they the horses were being killed to make pet food. What was worse was the cruel way they were being destroyed. This anger gave her the power to decide to do something. It was that decision to fight her state and eventually the U.S. Government that led to the protection of wild mustangs. This book shows her struggles and fears as she started as a reluctant fighter and eventually became a strong voice for the safety of mustangs and for other animals.
Although there are some descriptions of animal cruelty, they are needed for the story. It makes the reader cheer even for Annie as she eventually helps the mustangs be protected. This is geared for children but it is also a good and quick book for adults to read or re-read. It helps us all remember the importance of wild life.
June 7, 2018
I've had this book for a long while now, on loan from a friend who suggested I'd might like it when she heard that I'd worked on a horse farm that specialized in breaking adopted wild mustangs to the saddle. If I'd known what an emotionally painful read this book would be for me, I'd have given it a pass, but I say that as a recommendation for its quality. Henry brings the reader into the immediacy of the fight to protect the last remaining wild mustangs in the United States. As a teenager, I volunteered for the American Mustang and Burro Association and heard firsthand about the abuses to the very law that Henry portrays the establishment of in this book. It's painful to remember that terrible abuses are still going on to this very day, but it's some comfort to recognize that there are more herds now than there were when the law was passed and that there are more crusaders out there protecting the wild horses.
Anyway, it's a real tear-jerker of a novel, but if you've any interest in horses, it's an excellent read.
Anyway, it's a real tear-jerker of a novel, but if you've any interest in horses, it's an excellent read.
November 23, 2017
Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West by Marguerite Henry is a very empowering book. It follows a girl, Annie Johnston, through her life and all the struggles she faced. I really liked it because it told a historical story in a way that everyday people like me can understand. Another big reason I liked it is because it had to do with horses and was important to the future of the United States. The best part of the book was the empowering element that the author provided through the theme. Annie had so many people bring her down because she was just a woman and people didn’t think that her ideas were good or relevant. She didn’t let this get her down or make her give up, she kept on fighting the whole time. I would recommend this book to people interested in a little touch of United States history. People who read this book need to b semi-good readers though because it uses more of an old west sort of language. Overall I really liked this book and learned a lot from it.
July 25, 2022
Why did it take me this long to find this book? And why am I embarrassed to be crying over it? I can not think of a book that has left me so floored in such a good way as this has, and certainly not YA from my childhood.
My library never had this book. I am not sure if someone decided hearing what was done to wild horses up until the late 50s was too much for us . . . But we should have had this to read. Annie's story, her love of mustangs and her desire to save them would have been good for us. Even the idea that, with the adversity she faced on a personal level, she still was happy, still believed she had something to give the world and fought to make her dreams come true would have been amazing. And the fact that this is based on a true story, it just . . . Wow.
I recommend this.
My library never had this book. I am not sure if someone decided hearing what was done to wild horses up until the late 50s was too much for us . . . But we should have had this to read. Annie's story, her love of mustangs and her desire to save them would have been good for us. Even the idea that, with the adversity she faced on a personal level, she still was happy, still believed she had something to give the world and fought to make her dreams come true would have been amazing. And the fact that this is based on a true story, it just . . . Wow.
I recommend this.
May 9, 2023
This story always sets my heart on fire, but in a good kind of way. I love animals, including horses, and can't bear the thought of their cruel treatments. This book shows that determination can go a long way in the world. Especially if you have support. This book also really gives you an insider on what happened during those years of mustangs and their freedom. I've read this twice now, and I can never get over how powerful this book is. It states its cause loud and clear while you watch all that is set before you. If you love horses, or if you want a powerful story, this is definitely your book!
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