Pony by R.J. Palacio – Book Review
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Title: Pony Author: R.J. Palacio Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers Release Date: September 28, 2021  |
Silas lives a solitary life with his Pa and companion Mittenwool, a ghost. His life is shattered when a group of men come to his house in the middle of the night to take his father away. Silas promises to stay put. Then, the pony that accompanied the strangers returns, and he feels compelled to seek out his father. Thus starts a thrilling and mysterious journey that leads Silas out of his sheltered childhood and towards the edge of a new, treacherous world.
Pony by R.J. Palacio is as haunting as it is enthralling. Palacio’s talent for creating memorable characters and thought-provoking conflicts is on full display. The writing itself is simply exquisite. Still, there are plot points where a reader must blindly accept some odd developments in order to uphold the narrative’s mystical atmosphere. Verbose monologues and lengthy descriptive passages also may tax some readers’ attention, especially in the beginning. By the end, though, the mystery of Silas’s story will motivate all to keep turning pages deep into the night.
The beauty of Pony is that it is nothing like Palacio’s mega-sensation, Wonder. That is a good thing. It stands out for being different and highlights Palacio’s versatility and storytelling chops. Therefore, educators will surely encourage young people to read the novel. It contains several avenues to explore the history of the time period in which it is set. It will also keep students engaged throughout due to mystery elements embedded in the narrative. In fact, a cross-curricular photography project may just be the perfect opportunity to use the novel as a lens for viewing change across the past and present.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher, Knopf Books for Young Readers, for an eARC of this book.
Classroom Applications
- Project – If learning about photography in Art class, assign the novel as part of a project assignment.
- Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading mysteries.
Nonfiction Connections
The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.
- History of Photography
- History of Counterfeit Money
- Spiritualism
- Frontier Life in the 19th Century
- First Nations History
Book Companions
The following are great books to pair with Pony . In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.
- Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart (Character Connections, Themes)
- Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park (Character Connections, Nonfiction Connections, Themes)
*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
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