Student Book Review:

by: John Steinbeck

Review done by:

Amanda
Grade 6
Van Antwerp Middle School
Niskayuna, NY

I read a wonderful classic this year called The Red Pony. It was written by John Steinbeck.
The Red Pony was very dramatic book. It was about a boy named Jody, who lived in the country. All he wanted was a pony of his own, that he could ride and take good care of by himself. Most of his friends already had a horse of their own. So, Jody was a little jealous.
One day, when his Pa came home from town with Billy (the black stable buck), he had with him a little, harry, red pony. Of course, it was for Jody. He was very happy when he saw the pony. He took very good care of his pony, but the pony's life did not last long. When Jody went to school one day, he left the pony out, and it rained. The pony caught a deadly cold. That's the main plot of the story.
Some things that made the book come alive are the details. The author described how the pony was not tamed and wild at first, and what the pony looked like. I also liked the way the author made the characters come to life. He had Jody talking like a country boy in the early 1900's. On the other hand, I thought the story was the story was a little too detailed. It described the pony in his last few, which were dreadful. The pony suffered a great deal.
This was a very good, exciting book, but if you love horses and you're young, I wouldn't recommend this book. Other than that, I would highly recommend this book.