|
Post by Claire on Jan 14, 2009 18:19:22 GMT 1
Hi all, next book up is Pony Club Team by JPT Second in the Noel and Henry series. If you havent managed to read Six Ponies yet and don't think you will catch up in time here is the story so far: The children of the West Barsetshire Pony Club are given six unbroken ponies to train by Major Holbrooke who runs it. The ponies go to Susan, a rich but pleasant girl; John, a hot-tempered farmer's son; June, a pothunting semi-professional; the Radcliffes, a rather wild large family and Richard, a conceited rather unpleasant boy. Noel, a shy self-effacing girl who doesn't have her own pony, longs for one of the ponies but is too humble to ask for one. She helps Susan with hers however. The children have many trials and tribulations in training the ponies, culminating in the Radcliffe pony Romany bolting with the youngest member of the family James. When James falls and suffers a broken arm the pony is sent back. Seeing Romany grazing, Noel longs to ask the Major for her, but doesn't dare. But after being goaded by Richard's sarcastic remarks when she meets him one day, she plucks up the courage. With the Major's help and her own determination to learn she schools Romany and manages to win the contest the Major organises to see which of the ponies is the best-trained. As a prize she is given a lovely grey mare called Sonnet. The other children do variously well or badly depending on how they much they were prepared to learn and accept advice and criticism. Those who were not fail miserably. In Pony Club Team we meet most of the characters again. Their riding seems to have got worse since the last book and the Major decides to organise a riding course for some of them. The downside is that they children will have to put up with his annoying nephew Henry! I hope this catches everyone up. Let me know who has read this already and who still needs to, then we can work out a time frame for starting the discussion.
|
|
|
Post by zoe on Jan 18, 2009 17:21:32 GMT 1
I've just read it again - didn't mean to but I had a quick look at it to remind myself and ended up reading the lot! So I'm ready for the discussion.
|
|
|
Post by fizz on Jan 18, 2009 19:26:42 GMT 1
No, Pony Club Team is next, because that is where Henry meets Noel and then he invites her to Radney Manor for the summer. Susan, John & Dick are invited to judge the riding club gymkhana.
Looking at the cover I think it should have been in the Bad Cover Selection. The Radcliffes had red hair not Christopher.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jan 18, 2009 19:34:06 GMT 1
Yes that is a stinker cover. I was going to put it in my selection but never got round to it. Chrisopher looks like the hunchback of Notradam (sp) and Fireworks looks like a mule!
Pony Club Team is definitely second in the series as Fizz says.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jan 18, 2009 21:29:20 GMT 1
Yes I have some better pics too but just put the first one up I clicked on in the Noel and Henry folder and it happened to be that one. But hey we have to take the good with the bad
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jan 18, 2009 21:37:24 GMT 1
BTW re. series order 99% of the series orders I have on my website will be correct. This is not an idle boast but the actual reason I started the website in the first place was to have somewhere to direct people to who asked about series order and for my own personal use. All it started out with was series order! (The rest of the site somehow grew up around it!) I did do a lot of research and in some cases the reading order will be different to the publishing order as I consider this most important. As some of the longer standing members will remember a while back I read the entire Jackie series making notes on chronology to make sure I got the reading order right (ditto the Georgie series). If I don't know the order on the site I will either say so or there will be no numbers beside the titles. Sorry have got off the track...will have to moderate meself!!! ;D
|
|
|
Post by trixiepony on Jan 19, 2009 5:02:02 GMT 1
Im shore I can get this one from my local libery, I'll have to go tomorow to see if its still there I reamember reading it agerse ago.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jan 24, 2009 18:23:51 GMT 1
I think a few of us have read it so anyone can start discussing it now. We are fairly free and easy and stragglers just catch up when they are ready Why not start the ball rolling with your comments konstanze? Oh forgot to say have put the poll up.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jan 28, 2009 18:01:25 GMT 1
Anyone who has the first edition you may be able to clear up a mystery which has bugged me all over the years I have read this book. I have only ever read the revised version. In it Noel is distraught because she can't go on the dressage course despite as she puts it being the only one who really cares about dressage. But a few pages later she is staying with Susan with no explanation of how she got there! Does the 1st edition provide the missing info?
|
|
|
Post by haffyfan on Jan 28, 2009 20:24:59 GMT 1
I think it's in team where she stays because her family are off to egypt as her father is an acheologist (sp) and on a dig there .....or is that Radney Riding Club? It is definatly mentioned in the Swift edition which makes me wonder if it was the latter as you say it's not in your edition. I do have a first so if no one else answers first I will have a look at weekend for you.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jan 28, 2009 21:13:42 GMT 1
Hi haffy yes it is the one where her parents are on a dig or something but its like one minute she is moaning cos she cant go to the course and next she is staying at susans with no explanation of how she got there. I cant remember if I read the Swift edition its probably the Armada ones.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jan 29, 2009 22:25:27 GMT 1
Oh well even my feeble brain managed to work out what happened but it always seeed very disjointed as if it had been edited, which was why I hoped the first edition would have something about susan asking noel to stay rather than her just popping up there. Poor continuity if it was a TV show/film. But still its a minor quibble.
|
|
|
Post by fizz on Jan 30, 2009 18:05:20 GMT 1
This isn't quite my favourite in the series, that is The Radney Riding Club, but it is pretty high up there. I am particularly impressed by the attention to detail in the book, especially the schooling, though like some other posters I think it is to a very high level for riders of their ages. I don't remember learning turns on the forehand etc at my pony club rallies; then we didn't have anyone of Major Holbrooke's calibre and no summer residential courses, certainly no one that inspired the club members to improve their riding. I think that Henry comes over as an incredibly arrogant and irritating character and as a child I disliked him and sided with John. As an adult I like him better and see that he creates a lot of the book's humour, but I think that comes with age and would not be picked up by the average young reader. One of the main incidents of the book, Christopher's accident and concussion demonstrates a huge change in attitudes. Now he would quite rightly be rushed to hospital in an ambulance, have a brain scan and maybe a spell in hospital. Having had a sub-dural haematoma from probably knocking my head getting out of a car, I can see he had a lucky escape. If we compare this book with JPT's later Woodbury series, where the children all do basic first aid before a trek we can see how times have changed and she has been forced to move with them. Also we see a very different Christopher in this book to in the later two books he appears in. He has humility and is willing to learn. I wonder what caused JPT to change him so much? In all her books (in this series) there is the unmoveable, and unteachable character; Eric is another in Radney Riding Club. Merry is another character who is unwilling to learn; I am always surprised that she reappears in Pony Club Camp as a member of the staff and that we do not hear of her in between. I find it amusing that members considered her and Henry to be a perfect couple!
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jan 30, 2009 20:33:33 GMT 1
Fizz, interesting point about the changes in attitude over the years. If the author stressed the importance of a riding hat in those days they were being fairly radical! Even in my childhood (I may be old but I wasnt a child in the 40s and 50s!!!) there was a pretty relaxed attitude to health and safety rules compared to today.
Like you I agree that it does seem odd that Christopher's character changed so much between this book and One Day Event. I think you are on the right track by saying that JPT always had the unmoveable arrogant character who was unwilling to be taught. In One Day Event June changes and becomes willing to learn. Christopher therefore had to take her place as this character. JPT needed this sort of character to show that learning to ride properly is the most important element of success with ponies/horses. For those who have read One Day Event (and apologies for jumping forward to it) you may remember that some of the others agree that Christopher seems to have more natural riding ability that most ( he has the best seat when the children are lunging without stirrups for example) but because he is unwilling to learn he, like the similar charaters throughout the series, fails miserably.
I like Christophers character a lot in Pony Club Team and prefer him like that, tho I must say he provides a lot of humour in Pony Club Camp too in his arrogant competitive persona. I like to think of a little story line where the summer when Noel goes to stay with Henry at Radney, Christopher, his riding improved through the Major's teaching, starts winning at shows and because he has a natural seat does well. But it all goes to his head and he loses his former humility and desire to learn. Then when we get to One Day Event we have this arrogant overbearing character. I know I am straying off the point here but I always thought it would have been nice to have a book in the series which told of what went on with the other characters in that period.
This is probably my fav book in the series after Camp because it is so funny. There is all sorts of humour, from the witty remarks of the various characters to the slapstick moments as when Archie the cockatoo/parrot gets loose. Yes Henry is irritating but as Fizz says his and John's antagonism provides some great dialogue and humour. I love their fight! But we do see that Henry is good at heart as when John knocks the wall down with the tractor henry confesses to the Major on his behalf. Dialogue again is sparkling and realistic. The characters really come to life in this book and develop from the first one.
As an adult you feel sorry for poor old Major H. When you think what he had to put up with: the children trampling all over his new grass, Christopher getting concussed on what was supposed to be a 'quiet ride', the prize bird getting loose and then John 'borrowing' his tractor and knocking down part of his wall. And all in one day! But at the same time it makes it very very funny.
The tone is distinctively lighter in this one, and stays fairly light throughout the series, which seems to corroborate the feeling that the darker bits had been edited out of the first book in the series on purpose. Although I quite like dark books I find the series works better on a lighter humourous level, and I think it suits the author's style better too.
|
|
|
Post by fizz on Feb 1, 2009 18:26:31 GMT 1
Another thing I noticed was that John's Mother is a prominent character in Six Ponies, but she isn't mentioned as much in the later books. We hear more about John's Father. I thought she had a lot of sympathy with John and I'd like to have heard more of her. Another example of JPT doing adults rather well.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Feb 1, 2009 19:28:53 GMT 1
Yes I agree Fizz, she is one of the best of all the authors at adults. I particularly love the conversations between Major and Mrs H and also the ones he has with Mrs Cresswell on the phone. These are constant motifs throughout the series - and very amusing ones at that. I think Mrs C provides a lot of the humour, especially in 1 day Event, but I am jumping forward again!
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Feb 19, 2009 15:12:11 GMT 1
Hi all just noticed not many people have voted for this one. Anyone else want to put there vote in? I know things have been a bit quiet lately on the reading circle front while I have been away but normal service will now be resumed. Just about to start a thread for the next one (Radney) but you can still vote or discuss this one for as long as you want
|
|
|
Post by darkhorse on Feb 19, 2009 20:45:39 GMT 1
I thought I had already voted! This is one of my favourite ones in the series. I agree with whoever said that Josephine does humour best. Although I like her less humourous books such as Patrick's Pony or SHow Jumping Secret but I still prefer the funny ones like this one and Plenty of Ponies, which is one of my favouite one after this series. I also think the interaction between the characters in the book, especially when Henry is introduced to the group, is very realistic as well as funny.
|
|
|
Post by zoe on Feb 20, 2009 10:16:34 GMT 1
I've just voted. The part of this story that sticks out for me is Noel chasing the runaway - every time I read it my heart is in my mouth
|
|
|
Post by jinglerebel on Jan 21, 2011 2:44:34 GMT 1
I read PC Camp before this one and so was surprised how different Christopher was here - I reckon falling on his head must've permanently changed his character . I was a bit shocked at the casual attitude to his injury - they didn't even bother getting a doctor to check him over, since he seemed ok after a good sleep . And of course these days the parents would've sued the Major for failure to provide supervision and ensure helmets were worn. I read JPT's The Prize Pony yesterday, published in 1982, and times have changed as the importance of a hard hat is stressed ( thanks to Debbie's spectacular ride, and fall, at the Hunter Trials). Noel kind of annoys me with her getting the needle all the time! I had to laugh at the water fight as coincidentally my hw tap in the shower broke and the mains wouldn't turn off the same day I read this. And the Major telling Noel that Sonnet looked okay pale blue as all the fashionable ladies had hair that colour .
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jan 21, 2011 12:49:58 GMT 1
Yes, its one of the biggest mysteries in the pony book genre as to how Christopher changes character so dramatically. It seems to happen in the year that Noel goes to stay with Henry in Radney Riding Club as he's OK in Team but in One Day Event onwards he is obnoxious!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2011 14:35:58 GMT 1
And just found this thread and voted Fantastic as well
|
|
|
Post by tintin on Feb 28, 2011 14:06:08 GMT 1
This is a very clever and well written book that works I think on three levels.
1) There is an awful lot of quite technical horsemanship stuff in this book, much more than in 6 ponies, which I did struggle a bit with, but it did n't matter because 2) it is fast paced and exciting with interesting characters and you really want to know if they passed the course (and wonder what they are going to do next). The exciting incidents are very well done and interspersed well between the training sessions.
3) It is a great book about being an Instructor (of any kind). The Major is a first class instructor, but is shown as only human in that his moods can effect the quality of his instruction and he tries to take account of this. I think and six ponies are good reading for any one who aspires to teach or lead.
I was very amused with the scene that is almost a cliche of army life of the two men who progressively irritate one another so much they have a fight and then bizarrely become friends after. Very well depicted.
|
|
|
Post by tintin on Feb 28, 2011 14:35:56 GMT 1
PS Wonderful touch naming the lady "Merry" when almost all she does is moan
|
|
|
Post by shadowhawke on Mar 7, 2011 2:07:58 GMT 1
Not voting this time..... haven't read or heard of this one. The PT sisters are hard to find here in the US... I have a few from seaching though used bookstores..... This one sounds like a good one. Its on my list.
|
|