A Blanket for Stardust

By Leslie Cronkhite Armstrong

When three sisters receive the pony of their dreams, they spend every after-school hour riding and caring for the sweet girl. But as the days get colder, they begin to worry …

 

Sisters Lindsay, Cailey, and Stacey wonder if Stardust will be protected enough through the coming winter. After all, she is an elderly pony, and even with shelter, it may not be sufficient to keep her warm and safe. Worse, winter storms are expected! They put their heads together and brainstorm ideas on how to buy a new blanket for Stardust before the bone-chilling months arrive.

 

What will the girls do to earn money for the blanket? And what will happen to Stardust if they aren't able to buy one? With just weeks before snow and winter chills hit, the girls must find a way!

 

This charming tale follows the adventures of three sisters and their tender devotion to their beloved pony, Stardust. They gain support from friends and family, including surprises in unlikely places.

 

From the author and artist of Buster the Dumpster Pony comes this early-reader chapter book, filled with messages of loyalty, hope, and determination … a heartwarming story that will appeal to animal lovers of all ages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: thewordverve
• Release date: Feb 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9781956856255

Book preview

A Blanket For Stardust

A BLANKET FOR STARDUST

BY

LESLIE CRONKHITE ARMSTRONG

ILLUSTRATED BY

LESLIE CRONKHITE ARMSTRONG

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Make Your Own Holiday Swag

Let’s Talk About The Book

Acknowledgements

About The Author-Illustrator

Glossary

A Blanket for Stardust

Copyright © 2023 (Story and Illustrations) Leslie Cronkhite Armstrong

All Rights Reserved

This book is licensed for the purchaser’s own personal enjoyment. Unauthorized reprinting of this book is prohibited and doing so constitutes U.S. copyright infringement. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the copyright holder or publisher.

Thank you for respecting this author’s work.

First edition 2023

Published in Canton, GA, USA by thewordverve inc. (www.thewordverve.com)

eBook ISBN:           978-1-956856-25-5

Paperback ISBN:   978-1-956856-26-2

Hardback ISBN:    978-1-956856-27-9

Library of Congress Control Number: Forthcoming

A Blanket for Stardust

A Book with Verve by thewordverve inc.

To all children young and grown

who have ever loved a horse.

Cailey Armstrong with Stardust

Cailey Armstrong with Stardust

Quote image 1Girls on fence

CHAPTER 1

It was the worst thing that could have happened. Lindsay could hardly believe the news. She climbed the fence to join her two younger sisters, Cailey and Stacey. They stood on the bottom rail of the paddock fence, arms resting on the top rail as they watched Stardust eat her hay.

Stardust needs a blanket to survive the winter, Lindsay said.

Her sisters quickly turned to look at her, panic in their expressions. What! Are you sure, Lindsay? Cailey gasped.

Lindsay continued. Just look around. It’s only October, and the trees are nearly bare. The weatherman said this winter is going to be really cold. All the horses at the barn will need blankets and extra care. That’s what Carina just told me. Carina was one of Lindsay’s best friends.

Stardust was the small, snowy-white, twenty-eight-year-old pony the sisters loved with all their hearts. Stardust did not have a thick winter coat of hair like the younger horses to protect her from the cold nights yet to come.

Isn’t there a blanket at the barn small enough to fit her? Cailey asked. She was the middle sister at ten years old and the practical one. Good at math and problem solving, she saw their pony’s need for a proper blanket as a puzzle that needed to be worked out—and soon!

"I hope so, but we need to ask Karen to find out