The Secret Pony (Molly's Magic) by Holly Webb
Molly can talk to animals and in the Molly's Magic series we hear all about her adventures with the animals which come to her father's veterinary surgery. In The Secret Pony Molly meets a very special pony. Silver is actually a unicorn and what he really wants is to be free. It's up to Molly to find his true home. This is the fourth book in the series but each can be read without having read any of the others.
This is a lovely book for the emerging reader of five years and above and particularly for girls who love magic and animals. There's adventure, as Molly (at seven years old she's a lovely roll model for young girls) has to use her wits to find a solution for Silver. The wonderful setting of the farm where Molly lives is also home to her father's veterinary surgery and all the staff and animals there. There's a story which is well constructed and keeps you wondering quite how Molly is going to solve the problem and a very satisfying ending.
The book is short enough to give the emerging reader the confidence of having a book under her belt without it being too much of a trial. There are six chapters averaging out at just over twelve pages each and this is probably just about the right length for a new reader. The vocabulary is challenging (I know vets who can't spell 'veterinary'!) but there are plenty of clues to help along the way. The font is large enough to be clear and there are regular line drawings which break up the pages.
There are four books in the series – and rather a lot of pages devoted to advertising other books by Holly Webb at the back of the book - but Scholastic are to be commended for the lack of cliff hangers which force parents into buying more books - or marketing for the inevitable merchandise.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag. The books are very similar, but if you're looking to pick a book which includes a child's favourite animal we have reviews of:
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Secret Pony (Molly's Magic) by Holly Webb at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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