Henry sold her first story at the age of 11. Henry later said, 'At last I had a world of my very own – a writing world, and soon it would be populated by all the creatures of my imagination.' Soon afterwards, she also discovered a love for writing when her parents presented her with a writing desk for Christmas. Henry's love of animals started during her childhood. While confined indoors, she discovered the joy of reading. She was unable to attend school with other children due to her weak condition and the fear of spreading the illness to other people.

Henry was stricken with rheumatic fever at the age of six, which kept her bedridden until the age of twelve. One of the latter, Misty of Chincoteague (1947), was the basis for several sequels and for the 1961 movie Misty.īorn to Louis and Anna Breithaupt, the youngest of five children, Henry was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She won the Newbery Medal for King of the Wind, a 1948 book about horses, and she was a runner-up for two others. Your Turn: Have you read any of Marguerite Henry’s books? If so, do you have a favorite? What equestrian events are on your bucket list?įor more horsey nostalgia follow me on Facebook or Instagram.Marguerite Henry ( née Breithaupt Ap– November 26, 1997) was an American writer of children's books, writing fifty-nine books based on true stories of horses and other animals. If you don’t know Misty’s story, you HAVE to read the book. I have an online blogging friend who adopted her very own Chincoteague pony a couple of years ago thanks to her adoration of Misty of Chincoteague. The hard part would be leaving without a pony. The stories are so sweet and it would be incredible to experience the excitement in real life. Going to see the pony swim event on Chincoteague Island is a bucket list item for me. The year was 1952.ĭecades later I learned how to ride in Wayne, but by that time Marguerite Henry had moved to California and Misty of Chincoteague had galloped off to greener pastures in the sky.

My mom’s friend’s family knew the author and so the little girl version of my mom’s friend got to ride the beloved mare. The author Marguerite Henry lived in Wayne, Illinois for a time and Misty came to stay with her. The Backstory on the Misty of Chincoteague Photo The iconic Misty pony from Marguerite Henry books.

Author of misty of chincoteague