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Parents' Guide to

Pony

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Old-school Western meets ghost story in heart-filled quest.

Pony Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 12+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 13+

Thought provoking, tear jerking, challenging...

Don't let this book which appears to be for children keep adults from enjoying! This is a wonderful book for anyone ages 13 plus! An engaging adventure that keeps the reader guessing and shows the strong core values bestowed on the main character by a parent who chose love over money and another who chose to permanent change for the better for his love and for his child. This book was extremely well written.
age 10+

Great adventure story!

Silas must overcome many fears throughout his adventure to find his father. Also, he has to overcome some prejudices of people he meets along the way. I thought it was a good balance of emotion and action. There is definitely a good amount of violence, but it ends on a huge emotional note that will appeal to adult readers and has good messages about courage for kids!

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (2 ):

R.J. Palacio crafts a timeless hero's-journey tale of the Wild West with a tween boy, his best friend (a ghost), and the mysterious horse who carries him on a perilous quest for his abducted dad. With frequent references and parallels to The Odyssey, Pony's young hero often thinks of Odysseus' son Telemachus and that boy's quest to find his own father, and reflects on science and the classics while encountering deadly perils from wild rivers, steep cliffs, and murderous outlaws. There's gunplay, gore, and ghosts, and lots of heart and kindness from characters living and dead in this fresh take on a classic theme, enriched by the antique photographs that inspired the story and characters.

Book Details

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