American author of children's novels. Born in Missouri in 1895. The family then moved to Colorado where the young Leonara embraced the outdoor/western lifestyle. By sixteen she was riding in rodeos and wild west shows.
As an adult she married and had a large family of six children. When she began writing she drew on her experiences to write a number of series about teenage girls growing up in large families. The most famous and well-loved was the Beany Malone series, which have recently all been reprinted. Some of the books in the series also included horses, although the series as a whole is not a pony one. She also wrote a young adult romance with a horse backdrop.
Pony Books in the Beany Malone Series: The Malone series is a longish girl's/family series which is for the most part non-pony although does contain a couple of horse-themed books.
READING ORDER:
1) MEET THE MALONES (CROWELL [USA] 1943) Reprinted a number of times in hardback and paperback. Most recently reprinted in paperback by Image Cascade. SUMMARY: Book 1 in the series. The Malone children are allowed to go their own way so no-one is that surprised when Beany's elder sister Mary turns up with an injured black horse she has bought instead of a new dress! But when their grandmother arrives to stay, things begin to change as she tries to make the children comply with her own ideas of how they should behave. Mary realises she may have to take responsibility for her younger siblings.
2) BEANY AND THE BECKONING ROAD (CROWELL [USA] 1952) Reprinted a number of times in hardback and paperback. Most recently reprinted in paperback by Image Cascade. SUMMARY: Book 4 in he series. Beany takes a trip with her brother and a horse named Quaker.
Collector's Info: These have been reprinted many times and are very easy to find in the USA, although not so easy elsewhere.
Other Pony Books:
GYPSY BRIDLE LITTLE, BROWN & CO [USA] 1930) ILLUSTRATED BY KURT WIESE
RIDING HIGH (CROWELL [USA] 1946) ILLUSTRATED BY GERTRUDE HOWE Reprinted in hardback by Crowell. SUMMARY: Horsy teenage romance. Emily and her horse Pal O'Mine are friends with Kip and his horse Pinto, but gradually romance develops.
Collector's Info: Gypsy Bridle is rare and can be quite expensive. Riding High is easier to find but still not overly common. Both are very hard to find outside the USA.
