Pony Girls is set at a summer horse camp for young school aged girls. Eight year old Charlie, the main character, is full of anxiety. Charlie has a difficult time being able to complete any activity because of her all consuming anxiety. Luckily for Charlie, her friends and camp staff are there to support her, as are Charlie’s mother and therapist, Dr. Bell ( who are in communication with the camp staff), when she is not at camp. Charlie uses strategies learned from Dr. Bell to help her through the tough times, multiple times, throughout the day, but the same strategy does not help each and every time. Sometimes deep breathing helps, other times it is folding origami, or petting a cat or horse, or her newly added strategy of ‘visualization’. Little by little, strategy by strategy, with the support of the people around her, Charlie is learning to cope with camp and life in general. It helps when a friend mentions she is also afraid of the dark, so keeps a flashlight under her pillow. It helps when the neighboring farm asks for the Pony Girls help socializing their rescued horses. It is a win / win situation.

Pony Girls: Charlie is so heart warming from the deep concern the characters have for Charlie and each other, but of course, as in real life, there is at least one person, who is not part of the solution. If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem. This book, also, has one.

Paula Franco’s black and white illustrations, one in each of the ten chapters, gives added life to the story, especially through facial expressions. The large text font is easy on the eyes. The 8″ X 5.75″ size of the book makes it comparable in size to a standard paperback book.

Sumer camp is fun, even with a bit of homesickness or other anxiety, and Pony Girls: Charlie is no exception!