

Henry always wrote about animals, such as dogs, cats, birds, foxes, and even mules, but chiefly her stories focused on horses. Henry's first published work came at the age of eleven, a short story about a collie and a group of children, which she sold to a magazine for $12. On the top of stacks of colored paper her father wrote, “Dear Last of the Mohicans: Not a penny for your thoughts, but a tablet. Soon afterwards, she also discovered a love for writing when her father, a publisher, presented her with a writing desk for Christmas.

While she was confined indoors, she discovered the joy of reading. Because of her illness, Henry wasn't allowed to go to school with other children because of her weak state and the fear of spreading the illness to others.

Born to Louis and Anna Breithaupt, the youngest of the five children, Henry was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Unfortunately, Henry was stricken with a rheumatic fever at the age of six, which kept her bedridden until the age of twelve. Author of over fifty children's stories, including the Misty of Chincoteague series, Henry's love of animals started during her childhood. Marguerite Henry inspired children all over the world with her love of animals, especially horses. This to me is a constant source of wonder and challenge." This quote was from an article about Henry published in the Washington Post on November 28, 1997, in response to a query about her drive to write about horses.

And although a riding horse often weighs half a ton and a big drafter a full ton, either can be led about by a piece of string if he has been wisely trained. "It is exciting to me that no matter how much machinery replaces the horse, the work it can do is still measured in horsepower. Among the more famous of her works was Misty of Chincoteague, which was the basis for the 1961 movie Misty, and several sequel books. The author of fifty-nine books based on true stories of horses and other animals, her work has captivated entire generations of children and young adults and won several Newbery Awards and Honors. Marguerite Henry (April 13, 1902-November 26, 1997) was an American writer.
