Post by Claire on Oct 20, 2007 21:04:33 GMT 1
Was wondering what people's all time favourite pony books are and why they liked them so much.
Here is my top 5:
1. Pony Club Camp by J. Pullein-Thompson
2. Six Ponies by J Pullein-Thompson
3. Dream of Fair Horses by Patricia Leitch
4. A Horse Called September by Anne Digby
5. The Heron Ride by Mary Treadgold
Pony Club Camp – for me it is the archetypal pony book. It has everything, great characters & dialogue, lots going on, plenty of pony information, a little bit of romance. It is also very funny. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve giggled at the scene where the riders are being inspected and have to pass a pair of gloves along the line. I liked the romantic element between Noel and Henry, and especially the matchmaking character Gay who is always trying to throw them together. It’s a great book for all ages as the characters range in ages from youngish to almost grown up.
Six Ponies – I love this for many of the same reasons as Pony Club Camp (and it is in the same series). This is real comfort reading. It is still bliss to curl up by the fire on a cold winter evening with this book! The plot was fairly original with six children being chosen from the local pony club to train six young ponies. I also like the way the story is turned on its head with the ponies actually teaching the children, even as they train their mounts. Also love the characters. Unlike many pony books these are real 3 dimensional characters, each with distinct personalities, from the vague absent-minded Noel (she IS me!) to the insufferable June Creswell and of course the long-suffering Major Holbrooke (or Old Georgie) as the children call him. Must be one of the best adult characters in pony fiction!
Dream of Fair Horses – If this was not a pony book it would surely have won many prizes. Unfortunately pony books tend to be overlooked as too genre-specific. But this book is brilliant by anybody’s standards. I especially like the ending which, without giving anything away, completely defies convention. It is a master stroke which lifts the book from being a mere entertaining read to an all-time classic.
A Horse Called September – Love this because of the relationship between the girl and the horse, often overlooked in many pony books which focus too much on competitions or adventure. Also central to the story is the relationship between the two girls. A fascinating exploration of how relationships change and develop.
The Heron Ride – This book has an almost magical quality for me with the heroine having half-glimpsed memories of beautiful Lippizaner horses from her childhood, which she is not sure are real or not. The writing quality – as to be expected from a Carnegie prize winning author – is superb.
These are my top 5 but of course it is really hard just to pick 5. Others which narrowly missed making the short list are:
Pony Club Team – Back to Noel, Henry et al again. I really wanted to belong to their pony club! The bit where they let out Mrs Holbrooke’s parrot and try to catch it again is hilarious! ;D
The ‘Jill’ series by Ruby Ferguson - loved all these but if I have to pick one my fav would probably be A Stable for Jill as it was always my ambition as a child to run a riding stables (it never came true needless to say!)
The Silver Brumby series by Elyne Mitchell – fantastic books which although written from the horse’s point of view are not at all mawkish or sentimental. Brilliant description of the Australian mountains where the books were set. Makes you want to jump on a plane and head to Australia! Liked Silver Brumby Kingdom the best as my favourite character was Baringa.
Ponies in Peril – A great plot about 2 children trying to break in a group of wild ponies in order to save them from slaughter. Love the way each of the ponies has a different character.
Jump for the top – Read this countless times as a child (and a few as an adult too!) can’t put my finger on exactly why its so good but it just is! Has one of the most unpleasant pony book characters in the shape of the well-named Mrs. Grunter! ;D
Fly by Night/The Team – Just loved the character of Ruth and had a crush on Peter! Liked the way she struggled against all odds to keep Fly and become a good rider. Also there was a brilliant contrast between the characters of Ruth and Peter, one yearning for horses but having none, the other with horses to ride all day but hating it! Also loved the tension in The Team in which Toad becomes a wedge between the friendship of Ruth and Peter.
The Jinny series - I especially liked the mystical element of these books which is rarely seen in pony novels. Far from being overwhelming it is a subtle thread running though the series. Also I love the place where they are set - the highlands of Scotland.
Well, I am going to stop myself here as could be going on endlessly – there are so many great reads out there!
I would be interested to hear what other people’s top 5 / top 10 are, and if many people share my favs. Maybe we can do a poll to see which ones come out on top.
Here is my top 5:
1. Pony Club Camp by J. Pullein-Thompson
2. Six Ponies by J Pullein-Thompson
3. Dream of Fair Horses by Patricia Leitch
4. A Horse Called September by Anne Digby
5. The Heron Ride by Mary Treadgold
Pony Club Camp – for me it is the archetypal pony book. It has everything, great characters & dialogue, lots going on, plenty of pony information, a little bit of romance. It is also very funny. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve giggled at the scene where the riders are being inspected and have to pass a pair of gloves along the line. I liked the romantic element between Noel and Henry, and especially the matchmaking character Gay who is always trying to throw them together. It’s a great book for all ages as the characters range in ages from youngish to almost grown up.
Six Ponies – I love this for many of the same reasons as Pony Club Camp (and it is in the same series). This is real comfort reading. It is still bliss to curl up by the fire on a cold winter evening with this book! The plot was fairly original with six children being chosen from the local pony club to train six young ponies. I also like the way the story is turned on its head with the ponies actually teaching the children, even as they train their mounts. Also love the characters. Unlike many pony books these are real 3 dimensional characters, each with distinct personalities, from the vague absent-minded Noel (she IS me!) to the insufferable June Creswell and of course the long-suffering Major Holbrooke (or Old Georgie) as the children call him. Must be one of the best adult characters in pony fiction!
Dream of Fair Horses – If this was not a pony book it would surely have won many prizes. Unfortunately pony books tend to be overlooked as too genre-specific. But this book is brilliant by anybody’s standards. I especially like the ending which, without giving anything away, completely defies convention. It is a master stroke which lifts the book from being a mere entertaining read to an all-time classic.
A Horse Called September – Love this because of the relationship between the girl and the horse, often overlooked in many pony books which focus too much on competitions or adventure. Also central to the story is the relationship between the two girls. A fascinating exploration of how relationships change and develop.
The Heron Ride – This book has an almost magical quality for me with the heroine having half-glimpsed memories of beautiful Lippizaner horses from her childhood, which she is not sure are real or not. The writing quality – as to be expected from a Carnegie prize winning author – is superb.
These are my top 5 but of course it is really hard just to pick 5. Others which narrowly missed making the short list are:
Pony Club Team – Back to Noel, Henry et al again. I really wanted to belong to their pony club! The bit where they let out Mrs Holbrooke’s parrot and try to catch it again is hilarious! ;D
The ‘Jill’ series by Ruby Ferguson - loved all these but if I have to pick one my fav would probably be A Stable for Jill as it was always my ambition as a child to run a riding stables (it never came true needless to say!)
The Silver Brumby series by Elyne Mitchell – fantastic books which although written from the horse’s point of view are not at all mawkish or sentimental. Brilliant description of the Australian mountains where the books were set. Makes you want to jump on a plane and head to Australia! Liked Silver Brumby Kingdom the best as my favourite character was Baringa.
Ponies in Peril – A great plot about 2 children trying to break in a group of wild ponies in order to save them from slaughter. Love the way each of the ponies has a different character.
Jump for the top – Read this countless times as a child (and a few as an adult too!) can’t put my finger on exactly why its so good but it just is! Has one of the most unpleasant pony book characters in the shape of the well-named Mrs. Grunter! ;D
Fly by Night/The Team – Just loved the character of Ruth and had a crush on Peter! Liked the way she struggled against all odds to keep Fly and become a good rider. Also there was a brilliant contrast between the characters of Ruth and Peter, one yearning for horses but having none, the other with horses to ride all day but hating it! Also loved the tension in The Team in which Toad becomes a wedge between the friendship of Ruth and Peter.
The Jinny series - I especially liked the mystical element of these books which is rarely seen in pony novels. Far from being overwhelming it is a subtle thread running though the series. Also I love the place where they are set - the highlands of Scotland.
Well, I am going to stop myself here as could be going on endlessly – there are so many great reads out there!
I would be interested to hear what other people’s top 5 / top 10 are, and if many people share my favs. Maybe we can do a poll to see which ones come out on top.