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Post by Claire on Nov 2, 2010 12:43:48 GMT 1
The one that first springs to mind has to be No Ponies for Miss Pobjoy by Ursula Moray Williams. Must surely be the best! I also like I Wrote a Pony Book although it is only half a school story so maybe it doesn't count. Your suggestions and ideas please!
BTW have posted a complete list of all the top 10s we are attempting to do on the original top 10 post.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2010 13:20:01 GMT 1
The only pony school stories I've read are some of Mary Gervaise's Georgia series....The Pony Clue, Ponies in Clover and Pony Island.
Also Midnight on Lundy by Victoria Eveleigh has a bit of School in it.
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Post by haffyfan on Nov 2, 2010 20:34:13 GMT 1
Didn't do much for me but theres ponies At westways which i know most people like it.
Who Sir, Me sir is also a good one.
What about chestnut Hill lol
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Post by Claire on Nov 2, 2010 20:54:41 GMT 1
Doesnt Chestnut Hill come in the worst pony book category lol. Who Sir Me Sir is an excellent suggestion. Similar to Westways but IMO a bit better are a couple of books by Peggy Cannam - Riding for Ridge Abbey and Musical Ride. Also what about Third Year at Malory Towers, perhaps more a straight school story than horsy shcool one but the horse mad Bill and her horse Thunder are important characters.
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Post by haffyfan on Nov 2, 2010 21:37:34 GMT 1
Not read Musical ride but would agree with you on ridge Abbey although i wouldn't have thought of it at all. And yes that one is quite horsey, it has colic too or something too doesn't it?
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Post by foxglove on Nov 3, 2010 10:37:30 GMT 1
Third Year At Malory Towers was the only one I could think of. Bill's horse Thunder gets colic and one of the teachers helps her keep him on his feet, and she is so grateful she promises to try harder with her schoolwork. Enid Blyton was always so pious! I loved boarding school stories when I was young though. Summer Term At St Clare's features a girl who sneaks out at night to ride gypsy horses in a field, but it's not really that horsey.
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Post by Claire on Nov 4, 2010 12:48:45 GMT 1
I've just realised I can't think of any American or Australian ones with a school theme. Surely there must be some! Hmm, got me wondering, are school stories actually that popular in America. We all know they were extremely popular in the UK but elsewhere maybe not....? Drifting off the point a bit I know!
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Post by susanb on Nov 4, 2010 15:28:54 GMT 1
Claire, school stories (i.e. stories about children at a boarding school) are virtually unknown in the US. It's not as though such schools don't exist here, they certainly do, but while children in other countries are shown (in books if not in real life!) to envy "boarding school kids", here it's more "poor kid.....all that money, but his/her parents don't want him/her around"
That said, there is one US school story I can add to the list: Crofton Meadows by Joan Houston. It's very good, but it certainly won't make top 10 on a vote, because it's very hard to find, even here! The daughter of the stable manager at an exclusive school gets a scholarship to the school Of course, she's much the best rider, and naturally there's conflict with one of the b*tchy rich girls, especially when said girl buys her favorite mare and pushes her too hard........lol, you get the picture.
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Post by sarah on Nov 4, 2010 20:20:35 GMT 1
Ohh - Crofton Meadows - I just found that ridiculously cheap on abebooks - it is a good read.
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Post by Claire on Nov 5, 2010 12:31:57 GMT 1
Interesting about there being very few school stories in the USA susan. It did seem the norm for middle class/upper class Britis to bung children into boarding schools or off-load them on relatives while they went to live in India or somewhere for a couple of years. It provided many a plot for childrens books but to our modern sensibilities is a bit odd.
As haffy reminded us, Chestnut Hill is set in a USA boarding school but those horrid rich kids are so insufferable its not surprising their parents wanted to get rid of them. Maybe boarding schools are becoming trendy in America for the rich now!?
Tyring to think of some Aussie school stories. There was a bit of school stuff in Joan Phipson's Good Luck to the Rider but not really much. Cant think of anything else, but maybe cally or trixiepony will be able to tell us more. However it does look like the school story is mainly a British institution.
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Post by garej on Nov 5, 2010 19:45:53 GMT 1
The only books which I have read are Mary Gervaise's G for Georgia books, which are quite enjoyable. Her Farthingale series books are also set at a school, but I must admit that I have not read them! (This is because I dont own the first two in the series.)
Just remembered a couple, Another Pony for Jean is partially set at a school, and I Wrote A Pony Book is mostly set in a school (both are by Joanna Cannan).
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vera
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Post by vera on Nov 6, 2010 9:08:37 GMT 1
The only Australian school story I can think of is "The Boy Who Painted Horses" , one of the Ann Rankin series. I can't think of any boarding school ones, but school is kind of mentioned in passing. certainly you have to be richer than Croesus to go to boarding school in Oz; even the children living on remote stations have distance education and can stay with their families. There are boarding schools but I don't know of a one where you get riding. I did love the G for Georgia series and thought it would be so cool to go to a school were horses and riding were part of normal school life. Cheers, Vera
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vera
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Post by vera on Nov 6, 2010 9:09:44 GMT 1
The only Australian school story I can think of is "The Boy Who Painted Horses" , one of the Ann Rankin series. I can't think of any boarding school ones, but school is kind of mentioned in passing. certainly you have to be richer than Croesus to go to boarding school in Oz; even the children living on remote stations have distance education and can stay with their families. There are boarding schools but I don't know of a one where you get riding. I did love the G for Georgia series and thought it would be so cool to go to a school were horses and riding were part of normal school life. Cheers, Vera
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Post by Claire on Nov 6, 2010 11:05:50 GMT 1
Thanks for the info re Australian school stories Vera. I'm glad there are now quite a few advocates for the Georgie series. I used to be the only one on here who liked them!
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Post by garej on Nov 6, 2010 16:58:59 GMT 1
Thanks for the info re Australian school stories Vera. I'm glad there are now quite a few advocates for the Georgie series. I used to be the only one on here who liked them! The Secret Of Pony Pass (albeit it has no school in it) is one of my childhood books, so I have a special fondness for it. I still have the same copy.
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Post by sarah on Nov 6, 2010 20:21:16 GMT 1
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Post by Claire on Nov 7, 2010 15:17:58 GMT 1
Been doing some reseach on the website and found a few more school or part school stories.
In Jump for the Stars there is quite a lot of school stuff in it, tho not sure if you would class it as a school story or not.
We Rode To Victory - its a school riding competition and a lot of the action is in the comprehensive school and its to do with school strikes and stuff. The mastermind quiz jogged my memory on this one!
Also Come Down the Mountain by Vian Smith must be classed as a school story! And its a good un.
Queen Rider by A. D. Langholm - definitely a school story
Elizabeth Batt - The Wilde Riders
Also thought of another American boarding school one - Riding Academy series by Alison Hart (better than Chestnut Hill)
Be interested what you lot have to think of these and if you would class the first two on the list as pony stories. After a bit more feedback I will add a poll
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Post by kunuma on Nov 7, 2010 20:47:01 GMT 1
There's a lot of school in the Saddle Club books ;D
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Post by Claire on Nov 7, 2010 21:36:40 GMT 1
Kunuma it is supposed to be the top 10 school stories not the bottom ten. Now I know you are the only one of us to read the entire saddle club series but thats going too far..... ;D
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Post by kunuma on Nov 7, 2010 23:13:37 GMT 1
Kunuma it is supposed to be the top 10 school stories not the bottom ten. Now I know you are the only one of us to read the entire saddle club series but thats going too far..... ;D AND the Pinehollow series!
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Post by Claire on Nov 8, 2010 13:12:16 GMT 1
Hi all, have added poll. You can select up to 5 choices to include in our top 10. Don't forget to vote! B*gger wanted to change it to 10 choices but it won't let me. I'll do up to 10 for the others but this one will have to stay at 5
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Post by haffyfan on Nov 8, 2010 20:43:47 GMT 1
Had forgotten about Queen rider...it's one of my favourites...would highly recommend if you haven't read it already
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Post by haffyfan on Nov 13, 2010 19:49:15 GMT 1
seriously shocked by the poll! Can't believe Mary gervaise has so many votes or CPT!
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Post by Claire on Nov 13, 2010 19:54:44 GMT 1
Teehee, come on Georgie! ;D
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Post by rrosie on Nov 20, 2010 8:39:09 GMT 1
I love the Georgie series, I have most of them I think. Apart from A Pony of Your Own, I love The Pony Clue, it's a really clever plot for me and actually tests the reader.
Does The Horsemasters - Don Stanford count?
Rrx
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Post by susanb on Nov 20, 2010 15:26:18 GMT 1
Gaaahhhhhh!!!!! Can't believe we forgot that one!!!! Where were you a week ago, rrosie? (Welcome to the board, btw! ;D )
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2010 18:58:37 GMT 1
Got to admit I love the Georgie series too ;D
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