On a ranch in California . . . a boy dreams of becoming a pony express rider. California, early 1860s. Julius loves horses so much that he leaves his job as a sailor to work on a ranch. He is so good at taming horses that the other men at the ranch call him Bronco Charlie. He wants to become a pony express rider, but everyone tells him he s too young. When a pony express horse gallops into town without its rider, Charlie volunteers to take his place. Can Charlie deliver the mail and prove his worth as a rider?

Marlene is an award-winning author of almost 70 titles for readers preschool through adult. She began writing while teaching children with disabilities, producing materials to help her students learn. With time, the desire to write grew stronger. Soon she was writing for a variety of formats—magazines, internet, newspapers, scripts, books, and textbooks for readers of all ages. Yet, she never forgets where the dream of writing originated—through work with children. She is drawn back into classrooms to share the wonders of research and writing, and, of course, reading books.