book cover

Meg and Merlin: Making Friends

by Tanya Landman, illustrated by Sònia Albert

Interest age: 9 to 11
Reading age: 7 to 9

Published by Barrington Stoke, 2022

  • Chapter books

About this book

Meg adores ponies and longs for one of her own, but her parents can barely afford riding lessons at the stables, so she knows it is out of the question. On her tenth birthday, Meg is overjoyed to find a pony in her front garden. Merlin is the most beautiful creature Meg has ever seen, with a gleaming black coat, four white socks and a white star on his forehead. For one, incredible moment, she wonders if he is a birthday gift, before quickly realising that he must belong to someone else and has escaped from his field. The pair develop an instant bond, but Meg knows that he must be returned to his rightful owner, even though it will break her heart.

A moving tale of hope and trust, which beautifully describes the joy and freedom experienced by Meg and Merlin as they gallop across the grass. Aimed at dyslexic and reluctant readers, the slim book features short chapters to help build confidence and stamina. A clear layout and generous spacing prevents pages from feeling overcrowded, while the font is specially designed to avoid confusing letter shapes. Accompanied throughout by gentle black-and-white illustrations.

About the author

Tanya studied English Literature at university, and then worked in a bookshop running the children’s section, an arts centre and a zoo. Since 1992 she has been a writer of books for all ages – including adventures, retellings of Greek myths, detective stories, graphic novels, and historical fiction set in Britain and North and South America. Buffalo Soldier, published by Walker Books, won the Carnegie Medal in 2015. She lives in north Devon with her two sons, Isaac and Jack, Edgar – a ferocious Siamese cat, and two eternally optimistic Labradors, Hobson and Sally.

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