Pony Problem

Pony Pals Super Specials #5

by Jeanne Betancourt, Richard Jones (Illustrator)

Snow White and Acorn are fighting and it's ruining the girls' freindship. Can Pam figure out what's going on with the ponies before Anna and Lulu decide they no longer want to be Pony Pals?

Snow White and Acorn are fighting. They bite each other and they can't even stand to be in the same paddock. All this tension causes a big blowout as Lulu and Anna defend their ponies. Pam is caught in the middle. Can Pam use her newly discovered gift for communing with ponies figure out what's causing the upset before Anna and Lulu decide they don't want to be Pony Pals anymore?

Genres: Childrens, Animals, Horses, Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

When I was growing up I never thought of being an author. I was a terrible speller and didn't want to write any more than I had to. I wanted to be a tap dancer when I grew up. After a few years of teaching junior high and high school, I wrote my first novel. It was a surprise to discover that I liked making up stories and writing them down. I liked it so much that eventually I stopped teaching and became a fulltime writer.

Besides novels for children and young adults, I've also told stories by writing scripts for television and the movies.

I live on the top floor of a sixteen-story building near the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. From my apartment I have a view of Manhattan that includes the Empire State Building and the Plaza Hotel. In my free time I draw, paint, and read. I still love to dance.

Some people think that a writer's life is lonely. But when I'm writing a story I don't feel lonely because I am actively involved with lots of interesting people – the characters in my books. I love knowing that some day readers will get to know these characters, too. If you are one of my readers I hope you have as much enjoyment in reading my stories as I have writing them.

Reviews

[Kim Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to tell you why I read this book. My 7 year old granddaughter sees me reading a lot. She handed me this book one day and told me I needed to read it. I said I would, but kind of forgot, and left it at her house. A few weeks later she handed it to me again and told me I forgot the book and I needed to read it. I figure if a 7 year old is recommending a book, then it is worthy of a review.
From an adult perspective, this book is great. It touches on friendship, resolving conflicts, embracing peoples' differences, journaling, dyslexia, and even introduces uncommon vocabulary like skijoring. A really sweet story.
From a seven year old girl's perspective, it has ponies, friends, ornery boys, and adventure.
Pony Pals is a series of books I would recommend if you are still looking for a great Christmas gift for the young reader in your life.

[Pranjal Kamble · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story talks about three friends and their ponies. The three friends named Pam,Anna and Lulu were practicing horse rideing for the festival. In that city there was winter season and every where snow falling after that stop one of their uncle decided to keep one 'WINTER FEST' in that winter fest they were planning to do sledding snow boarding and skijoring sleigh rides. Western riding exhibition also they thought to keep in that fest. One night when three friends finish practicing and get back to home but when Anna get up from sleeping he saw that he's pony is not there he immediately call up his friends and started to find the pony after long time searching the pony they find it but he's neck is full of blood Anna scare and start finding a

[Melissa Namba · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like that in this book the personalities of the horses are explored. sometimes it seems like the ponies are more like decorations in this series. that they have feelings and bicker is interesting.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even best friends fight sometimes, and this does a good job at portraying the fight without one person being more wrong than the other. Lulu and Anna are both at fault. So, in that regard, this was a good book, and showed the most important part of a fight isn't who is wrong, but who is willing to apologize and forgive.


However, I had a big issue with this book (SPOILER!). This series has portrayed the world as pretty realistic, and then Pam suddenly has this almost psychic ability with animals that comes out of nowhere. I don't know if this was mentioned in a previous book that I haven't read, but it really came out of nowhere in this book, and it just didn't work for me. I wish they had figured out another way that Acorn was jealous.

Also, there is SEVEN inches of snow, and people still show up? I think we had around that much during Christmas weekend, and there were quite a few wrecks and at one point we were told to stay off the freeway unless absolutely necessary. I mean, I know in the book it's a winter festival and snow was required for it to be put on, but with that much freshly fallen snow, it would be dangerous to drive there, especially as there was no mention of the town plow plowing the actual roads. So, I'm sure some people would have still showed up, but attendance would have been low.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Pony Problem” from Jeanne Betancourt’s “Pony Pals” book series is rather sweet. Pony Pals features three girls and their ponies Lulu with her pony Snow White, Anna with her pony Acorn and Pam with her horse Lightning. In “Pony Problem” Acorn and Snow White get in a fight this leads to a fight between Lulu and Anna. Pam try to mean her friends friendship all the while trying to figure out why the fighting began in the first place. With the use of her special ability to understand animals on occasion Pam helps the horses mend their friendship while also finding a reasonable way to solve her friends pony problem. Pam, in this story at least, takes the role of mediator setting up a meeting for the girls to resolve their issues. She led her friends from argument to finding solutions to their problem by reminding them of the great friendship they had. Anna is an outstanding character because she is skilled at drawing and Lulu is outstanding because of her poetry. Together these girls make a good team and good friends.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

read them all