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Horse Diaries #10
Darcy
Ireland, 1917. Darcy is a light gray Connemara pony with silver dapples. She's fast and tough, whether she's pulling a load of peat from the bog or riding around the rugged countryside with Shannon McKenna, her human family's eldest daughter. But when Mrs. McKenna needs a doctor, Darcy discovers a skill that will change her and her family's life forever. Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse's point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about Connemara ponies and Irish history.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Whitney Sanderson
46 books14 followersWhitney Sanderson grew up riding horses as a member of a 4-H club and competing in local jumping and dressage shows. She has written several books in the Horse Diaries chapter book series. She is also the author of Horse Rescue: Treasure, based on her time volunteering at an equine rescue farm. She lives in Massachusetts.
(source: Amazon)
(source: Amazon)
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 7, 2018
i really like how each of the Horse Diaries stars a different types of horse with a unique plot
January 18, 2015
Darcy is a Connemara pony, born on a small farm in Ireland in 1917. While she is still a colt, she witnesses her best horse friend, Ciara, race toward and cliff and tumble over headlong onto the beach below. Darcy is heartbroken, but also learns that being slow and careful is safer than rushing around willy nilly. When Darcy is purchased by another family and is taken away from her mare, Darcy is even sadder and lonelier. In not too long, though, Darcy serves her new family by pulling their little wagon to market and hauling peat from the bog to the house. When the oldest son goes off to fight with the Irish Republican Army, he leaves a hole in Darcy's existence. All too soon, though, he returns, minus one leg. The one activity he can still do is ride a pony and that is how he builds his self-confidence again. By reading this book, one learns all about the fabulously talented and smart Connemara breed. The Horse Diary series is perfect for boys and girls in grades two through four.
September 20, 2021
This is a wonderful series that I well-enjoyed during my younger years, and when I was about seven years old it was my ultimate favorite. We all loved the story of Black Beauty, and this series has the same idea - a horse telling its own story during the historical time it lives. There are so many books to read in this series, and though they don't need to be read in order, as each novel presents new characters with new conflicts, but they take place in the order of the historical time. It's really cool for a young kid to be able to read the thoughts of a horse through a fictional book and learn more about the breed it highlights and the history centered around the breed's origin.
These books are absolutely wonderful and very informative. After the entertaining story, there is a little section in the back that teaches about the breed and its uses during a specific time period. They are clean, entertaining, and such a great read for any 7 to 10-year-old child. If you love horses and history, be sure to check out Horse Diaries!
These books are absolutely wonderful and very informative. After the entertaining story, there is a little section in the back that teaches about the breed and its uses during a specific time period. They are clean, entertaining, and such a great read for any 7 to 10-year-old child. If you love horses and history, be sure to check out Horse Diaries!
June 6, 2018
Readers will enjoy this simple but light-hearted story. Just as you get comfortable in throws you into a turn. Be ready to sit on the edge of your seat and zoom through this story. Darcy is a normal Connemara pony living in Ireland. She plays with kids pulls carts and gallops in her little field. One day her families mom needs a doctor and everyone is depending on Darcy to help them out. Darcy's point of view makes the story fun and enjoyable, and everyone's personalities help the story to flow smoothly. Anyone from ages 5+ will enjoy this story, the drawings in the book are well done and help to imagine the situation. This book is recommended for elementary and middle school libraries.
October 18, 2013
Read aloud to my 5yr old daughter. She is obsessed with horses & horse novels right now. There are topics in the book (war, courting) that she doesnt understand. But, this did not take make too much of a difference. It's interesting because the book is told from the horses point of view.
Even I enjoyed the book. :-) It's hard to read aloud when you are a little choked up with tears at the end though. (Happy, not sad)
Even I enjoyed the book. :-) It's hard to read aloud when you are a little choked up with tears at the end though. (Happy, not sad)
October 6, 2016
I liked the book because it has horses in it and i like horse. I have 3 horses and a lot of more animals because I live on a farm. I like to ride horses.I ride horses a lot. That's why I like this book.
June 27, 2013
This well researched, well written story is perfect for the young romantic horse lover. And the illustrations are gorgeous too!
December 24, 2013
Historical fiction from a horses point of view. Stretched a bit in places, but still a satisfying read. Author's notes at end of book are great to round out the story.
November 24, 2018
I really found this one interesting--as much from the background and culture as from the horse's POV. It had a very wide sweep but managed to cover that in a short amount of real estate, which some of the others have not done as well. One of my favorites.
December 30, 2024
Darcy shares her life story as a Connemara pony. She is fast and tough and works hard for her family in Ireland. She wades through a bog to save the life of one of her humans. She is loved by the McKenna family, and by selling her foals, they are finally able to own their own land.
March 11, 2019
One of our favorites so far! We especially loved the Irish setting of the story.
July 17, 2019
See the first book in the series for a full review.
April 13, 2024
My favorite from the series, so far!
August 6, 2022
Warning: you will cry your eyes out at the beginning.
What a shock!! To have a little filly die a gruesome death at the very beginning of the book?!
The rest of the book is pretty good. Again, I’m obsessed with the illustrations!
What a shock!! To have a little filly die a gruesome death at the very beginning of the book?!
The rest of the book is pretty good. Again, I’m obsessed with the illustrations!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2013
This is the latest (though hopefully not last) book in the excellent Horse Diaries series. All books in the series tell the story of a horse during some interesting period of history. They often use the point of view of the horse to deal with social and political issues from history. The horse is usually unaware of the circumstances that the humans are in and we see his or her reactions. This book is no exception as it is set in Ireland beginning in 1917, around the time of the Irish Independence movement.
The story deals a lot with the issue of class as Darcy is a simple Connemara pony while the landlord's son has a much finer horse. This leads to an interesting twist as Darcy's owner (a pretty teenage girl) is unable to have a romance that landlord's son but Darcy ends up mating with his fine stallion. That aspect of the story is kind of strange as it subtly deals with the issue of sex. None of the previous Horse Diaries books that I read deal with that aspect at all. However, it is very understated and will probably go over children's heads. All in all, this is a good books that I recommend just like the other Horse Diaries.
The story deals a lot with the issue of class as Darcy is a simple Connemara pony while the landlord's son has a much finer horse. This leads to an interesting twist as Darcy's owner (a pretty teenage girl) is unable to have a romance that landlord's son but Darcy ends up mating with his fine stallion. That aspect of the story is kind of strange as it subtly deals with the issue of sex. None of the previous Horse Diaries books that I read deal with that aspect at all. However, it is very understated and will probably go over children's heads. All in all, this is a good books that I recommend just like the other Horse Diaries.
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May 12, 2015Darcy was a very cute and fairy- tale like book compared to the rest of the books in the series.
Darcy was born in Ireland along the thundering sea. Ciaria and her mother were her herdmates until Ciaria fell off the cliff that was keeping them in. Darcy was then sold to a poor farmer who used her for plowing in his potato fields. She then went on to race one of the greatest race horses in town. After winning, Darcy was given many awards, foals, and a happier family.
I would reccomend this book to anyone who wants to read anything horse related.
Darcy was born in Ireland along the thundering sea. Ciaria and her mother were her herdmates until Ciaria fell off the cliff that was keeping them in. Darcy was then sold to a poor farmer who used her for plowing in his potato fields. She then went on to race one of the greatest race horses in town. After winning, Darcy was given many awards, foals, and a happier family.
I would reccomend this book to anyone who wants to read anything horse related.
October 29, 2014
I loved this book but it was really sad because Darcy's friend Ciara was killed because an eagle hit her and she fell off a cliff, but she lived until the eagles started eating her. When Darcy got old enough, she was taking away from her mom and was sold to a family with a old cow, a cat with kittens, geese, and chickens. When Darcy was older she had a foul.
November 14, 2018
This was probably one of my favorite books in the Horse Diaries series. They are very well written and I LOVE how they are written from the horses point of view, because it really add perspective. I am a big horse lover, and I would recommend this book to people like me!
February 11, 2013
i love the book and i would like to buy this because so i can find out what happens in this lovely book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2017
I love the series! More books made!
August 30, 2018
It was an amazing book.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews