Horse lovers often dream of capturing a wild horse, and taming it all on their own. There is something about connecting and communicating with wild things that draws in the heart and soul of children of all ages!!! 

In this fourth book in the Misty series, Misty's great great granddaughter is part thoroughbred, part Chincoteague pony, and one hundred percent fire and talent. Twilight has greatness in her blood, and competes against the best dressage horses in the world.... you'll have to join to see how the ribbons fall.


I read this series as a child, and read it to my children, and now I'm thrilled to relive it again with children on Outschool. 

Together we will share our love for reading, and especially reading about horses!!! As we gather each week, we will each read our favourite passage from the week's assigned reading. If you have a reluctant reader, or one who finds reading aloud challenging, they could prerecord their reading and then share it with the class, so that they can still read aloud, but take out the stress of the live component. I will read my favourite passage as well, as I LOVE to read stories aloud. I will read last.

My first goal for my learners is the simple joy of reading, of being transported into another place and time and feeling like they are fully living the experience themselves. I want to encourage the joy of reading mostly, so my questions and our discussions will be somewhat led by me, but I will follow the lead and passion of the children, so that their enthusiasm for the story doesn't become a chore to discuss. I will always have a leading thought to present if the discussion wanes, but I want them to lead out as much as possible.

I use a process called READ-THINK-TALK as outlined by Litlovers.com

Each week I will invite the learners deeper into the characters's lives and the full story, by exploring the different aspects of character development, plot, point of view, themes, imagery and metaphor, symbolism and even irony, and actual historical basis for this series. 

We will talk about empowerment and overcoming challenges, and dealing with disappointment. 
Students will have a platform to express their thoughts and opinions on the story line and the experiences of the characters.

As the students read the book in preparation for the class, I invite them to read with a pencil, and mark passages that are important to them for any reason. We will share our reasons for marking these parts. If they are using a borrowed copy of the book, they could take notes into a journal.

As a riding instructor, and a coach for many, many years, I understand the power of story, and the way it draws us in and we BECOME the character with whom we identify. In this immersion, we visualize ourselves meeting the challenges and disappointments of the characters in the story, thus building new visions of ourselves and our capabilities. This experience can also help label feelings we knew we had, but didn't understand. The vocabulary becomes OUR vocabulary, and we come to understand ourselves better. 

This series is based on true events. Chincoteaugue Ponies are a recognized breed and have a registry. I have friends who own a grey Chincoteaugue Pony named Gracie, so I will bring pictures to class. 

Week 1, Chapters 1-6
Week 2, Chapters 7-11
Week 3, Chapters 12-16
Week 4, Chapters 17-21


This Book Club Class is the fourth in a series of 4 books enjoying the tales of Misty of Chincoteague.