Book Review: A Pony to Remember

Jenny's world is crashing down around her. Her family has to move away from their farm, and that means saying good-bye to her horse, Magic, and all the other animals Jenny cares for and loves. Jenny will have to live in an apartment in town, make all new friends, and go to a new school. She is sure she will never be happy again. But that's because Jenny doesn't know what it's like to live in a different place ... and she's in for a lot of very nice surprises.'  

Today, with thanks to the Internet Archive, we are continuing our journey through Charming Ponies series by reading A Pony to Remember. Credit where credit is due, this cover is absolutely gorgeous. (I do find it funny that the framing of the cover and positioning of the text make it appear that Jenny is the dog.)

Eight-year-old human girl Jenny is living an idyllic life on her family's farm with her pony, Magic, but trouble is looming on the horizon. Her father has lost his job, and times are now tough. They might have to sell their farm. When Jenny watches cartoons on the television one night, her mother asks her not to, because Jenny needs to do her part to help the family save money. (Call me an overly sensitive millennial, but I personally don't think it's fantastic parenting to make your very young child feel responsible for the family's financial woes.)   

Unfortunately, it turns out that cutting down on Nickelodeon was not able to save the farm, and soon enough Jenny's parents are forced to sell it. They tell Jenny that they're moving into 'town' (I take this to mean the suburbs) to live in an apartment, and they will only be able to bring their dog, Springer, with them. Jenny is devastated, because she'll have to give away Magic. Now, given this is a horse girl novel, I think it would be pretty understandable for Jenny to pull a Saddle Club and hide Magic away in a long forgotten barn. Instead, she shows an almost unbelievable level of maturity and understanding, and arranges for her best friend, Molly, to have Magic. This way, Jenny reasons, she knows who will be taking care of him, and she might be able to visit him in the future. Personally, if I was eight years old and forced to give my beloved pony to my best friend, I would've had hysterics. (I'm noticing a running theme across the Charming Ponies series - the children don't really act like children. There's not really any huge tantrums, even when it would be very understandable for them to have one.)The rest of the story mainly focuses on Jenny arriving at her new home and settling in to her new life. She befriends the local neighbourhood kids, starts at her new school, and volunteers for a local charity where people bring their pets to the local nursing home to keep the residents company. At the beginning of the story, Jenny also takes a caterpillar from a milkweed patch, and keeps in her special 'bug box.' I do find Jenny being a bug girl quite endearing. Throughout the novel, she frequently checks in on the caterpillar, watching its transformation. Personally, I could've done without the many detailed descriptions of metamorphosis, but I'll be charitable and say it was intended to be educational for young readers and not an attempt to pad the word count. Towards the end of the story, once Jenny has realised that everything will be okay and life goes on, she sets her butterfly free. Because ... like the butterfly ... Jenny's life has also transformed ... The symbolism couldn't be more heavy-handed if it hit you on the head with a hammer.The story ends a couple of months later, with Jenny going to visit Molly and Magic before Christmas. She's elated when Magic remembers her, and exchanges presents with Molly. As she leaves, Jenny reflects on everything that's happened. She remembers her dad's advice: 'When one door closes, another opens.'I will say, I was a little surprised that the story didn't end with Jenny finding a way to own Magic again. So many horse girl books I read back in the day had their protagonists doing anything to keep their horses and/or saving stables that were on the brink of bankruptcy. (Cough, The Saddle Club, cough!) But I guess it was more realistic that way - during the story, Jenny's parents make it pretty clear the family finances were in dire straits, so it would've been pretty unbelievable for them to miraculously recover. Honestly, it was a little bittersweet, in a way that doesn't usually happen in children's novels. It's for this reason that this is - currently - my highest rated book in the Charming Ponies series. A solid 3.5/5 stars from me.