Sea Star: Orphan Of Chincoteague (2007) - Plot & Excerpts
THE MYRTLE CUREAlthough author Marguerite Henry had not envisioned a sequel to MISTY, she found herself touched by the real plight of a tiny orphan colt whose mother had died at Tom's Cove. Those plucky youngsters, Paul and Maureen Beebe, make the ultimate sacrifice: they decide to sell their beloved Misty in order to finance their uncle's education at Seminary. But when the Lord cloes one door, he often opens a window somewhere else. In this case the starving little type whickers his way into the children's grieving hearts, giving them something positive to work for: finding him proper nourishment. If you enjoyed MISTY OF CHINCOTEAGUE you will love this tale as well. There is more of Grandpa's blustery horse sense--for children, as well as for the animals on Pony Ranch. It is also a treat to experienceGrandma's warm support for empty stomachs and aching hearts. Readers will relive the excitement of the roundup on Pony Penning Day, as the firemen of Chincoteague hold their annual fund raiser (capturing and selling the wild ponies of Assateague Island to Mainlanders). This year a movie crew is on hand to film the tumultuous events. The conflict of human versus equine will is played out on a salty stage of splashing waves off the Virginia coast. Sea Star will quickly capture your interest, along with world-famous Misty. Despite the children's noble sacfrifice for the family the story is a light, heart-warming read for kids of all ages. (June 11, 2012, I welcome dilaogue with teachers.)
A childhood favorite re-visited.Is the story as good as I remember? – YesWhat ages would I recommend it too? – All ages. Children will enjoy the single storyline; while adults enjoy an easy afternoon read (especially while waiting on a bus, show, doctor, or other appointments).Length? – Reasonable for an afternoon.Characters? – Memorable, several characters, though a bit confusing in the beginning.Setting? – Real world, Recent times (1940′s).Written approximately? – 1949.Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Yes! At the end, Sea Star had just been dropped off too weak to walk only hours before, it seems that at least 24 hours should have not passed, not less than five hours.Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? This one again has a money issue. It would help if there was a tiny prologue showing some of the money amounts listed in the book in more up to date terms. We can understand why the Fire Department let them buy the baby for $10.00, though that is extremely low. However, the idea of college tuition being $250.00 needs some reconciliation with current figures. Also, some readers would like to know what happened to the real Paul and Maureen, even a good Internet search did not easily find anything.
What do You think about Sea Star: Orphan Of Chincoteague (2007)?
The first sequel of "Misty of Chincoteague." If someone you know likes books about horses and has little trouble adjusting to a different period and style of writing, steer them to Marguerite Henry. In "Misty" and "Sea Star," the siblings Paul and Maureen often fall into stereotyped gender behavior (Maureen does the dishes while Paul helps with a loud speaker system), but their relationship with their grandparents (the mysterious parents are in China) is loving and charming, and Maureen is a pretty spunky girl. The two kids work together, bonded by their love of horses. They live on an island where the central social event revolves around horses. They are charming. I've now read four of Henry's books (the other two are "King of the Wind" and "Brighty of Grand Canyon") and found each of them rewarding. "Brighty" in what got me into her--the Grand Canyon connection. When in the North Rim Lodge, be sure to see the bronze sculpture of Brighty, and if you have a kid with you, read the story together.
—Lars Guthrie
Sea Star: Orphan of ChincoteagueAuthor: Marguerite HenryThis book is a sequel to Marguerite Henry's first book, Misty of Chincoteague. In this book brother and sister Paul and Maureen Beebe have sold Misty to Some "movie men" from New York to make a movie about her, and to make children on the main land happy. When Paul and Maureen are digging for oysters for their grandmothers Pony Penning Day dinner, they find an orphaned colt with his mother laying "dead on her broadside." This book had to be my absolute favorite book by Marguerite Henry. My favorite part was the Pony Penning Day rodeo when Paul is riding a "demon horse". Marguerite Henry was to me trying to show people the love between people and their horses. The writing style was fantastic, and this story was so realistic. I am really glad I read this book.
—Sara Elisabetha
We started this one tonight. I read it when I was younger, along with every other horse book I could find. Marissa really likes it so far. It is a higher reading level then previous books we have read aloud, so I'm curious to see how long it keeps their attention (and mine).Well, we finished a few days ago. It was a slow read, but Marissa liked the characters and, of course, all the horses, err ponies rather. There were not enough pictures, though, to make it a great read for young kids. We liked the story enough to start Misty the same night.
—Marci Christensen
