Marguerite Henry

Relates the adventures of a little burro who blazed trails through the Grand Canyon and met many famous people in the process.

Brighty of the Grand Canyon

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Sarah Sammis

Marguerite Henry made her career on writing novelizations of the lives of famous equines and other animals (dogs mostly). Of her 59 books I've only read Brighty of the Grand Canyon.

Brighty the burro was named for Bright Angel Point on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. There is a statue of him at the Grand Canyon Lodge which you can snarf. He helped build the modern day trails and was known by President Teddy Roosevelt.

Although I love the Grand Canyon and its history, both times I've tried reading the book, I've had to struggle to finish it. The writing is choppy, swinging wildly from melodramatic to dry book report. As the hero of the story is a burro, the book is light on dialogue and heavy on description.

I decided to reread the novel to give it a second chance. My first attempt at it had been in 4th grade at a time when I was not the book lover I am today. I thought perhaps my dislike of the book had been more a result of my overall disdain for reading. Now I think it is just my dislike of animal centered books.

Brighty of the Grand Canyon

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