Editorial Reviews
Review
“A full blooded, fiery Arabian horse roaming the Great Dismal Swamp is an apparition worthy of anyone’s summer vacation fantasies, and Sally has good company in her science-minded brother Andrew and the part Indian local boy Robin for her attempt to lead the lost horse away from a pursuing game warden and his hounds. Between the title and Cousin Anne’s dire warnings on the first night of the children’s visit, the climactic swampfire scene should surprise no one. But Sally’s heroism in rescuing the boys from behind the fire line is gratifying (especially considering her previous refusal to clean a fish), and the mosquitoes, snakes and scratchy thickets the kids encounter have a convincing enough sting. Strictly back porch reading.” —Kirkus Reviews
From the Inside Flap
Sally and Andrew spend practically every summer with their Cousin Anne on her peanut farm, right on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia. This particular summer was going to be the best one of all, because they were planning to camp out with their new friend Robin, a native of Indian descent who knew the swamp like the back of his hand. What they did not expect, was to hear that a shoat had been seen in the swamp. Only Robin knew that the “ghost” was really a horse, and the three children set out to find it and keep it safe from the game warden who was organizing a search.
For the next couple of days they go deeper and deeper into the swamp, rich with grasses and animals, shadows, dark waters, and its wonderful, pungent smells. Their adventures–and their discovery of a swampfire–make exciting reading for both boys and girls, horse lovers and nature lovers alike.
Especially now that the Great Dismal Swamp has been made a wildlife refuge, this story should have great appeal.
