Post by Claire on Dec 6, 2007 19:22:30 GMT 1
Just got hold of a copy of Ponies All Summer By Judith Berrisford and when I began reading it I realised it had a very similar story-line to Cross Country Pony by Patricia Leitch. In both of these the children start up a pets boarding service and much of both the stories are taken up with the trials and tribulations of looking after the animals.
It got me thinking that there are quite a few pony books with very similar plots. Of course there are a limited number of plots you can have with a pony book but it is quite interesting to note how many have very similar story-lines.
Two books which have always struck me as quite similar are Horses at Home by D P-T and Horses and Heather by Gillian Baxter
In both these books the children arrive at a stables to find the owner has been taken to hospital (their Aunt in the case of Horses at Home and Edna, the owner of a riding school in Gillian B's book. Edna had appendicitus, can't find my copy of horses at home but having a feeling the Aunt may also have had appendicitus. Let me know if I'm right or wrong!) and they end up looking after the horses and other animals whilst the owners are hospitalised. I think there may also be another book where something similar happens but for the life of me can't remember it!
3 more books with a similar story are Sabre the Horse From the Sea by K M Peyton (writing as Kathleen Herald), Pippas Mystery Horse by J Berrisford and Khazan the Horse from the sea by Joyce Stranger.
In all of these books a girl finds/rescues a shipwrecked horse, and there is the usual worry over the real owner turning up.
The Jinny Series and Midnight Dancer series by Elizabeth Lindsay.
Has anyone else noticed the similarities in these? In both series a family moves from the town to the countryside (nothing strange here but read on...)
In both of them the father of the family gives up job as a teacher to become a potter and in both there is an episode (Gallop to the Hills and Running Free in the Midnight D series) where the dogs are in danger as they are wrongfully accused of sheep worrying! Haven't read either of the series for a while, I suspect there may be more similarities.
Another odd similarity is that not of plot but of name. In Jill and Prince the Pony by (I think) Joan Dicken I was shocked when I found out the girl is called Jill Crewe(!) a name which we all know well from Ruby Fergusons books! Very strange!
I would be really interested to know if there are any other books anyone can think of with similar storylines either to each other or to any of these.
It got me thinking that there are quite a few pony books with very similar plots. Of course there are a limited number of plots you can have with a pony book but it is quite interesting to note how many have very similar story-lines.
Two books which have always struck me as quite similar are Horses at Home by D P-T and Horses and Heather by Gillian Baxter
In both these books the children arrive at a stables to find the owner has been taken to hospital (their Aunt in the case of Horses at Home and Edna, the owner of a riding school in Gillian B's book. Edna had appendicitus, can't find my copy of horses at home but having a feeling the Aunt may also have had appendicitus. Let me know if I'm right or wrong!) and they end up looking after the horses and other animals whilst the owners are hospitalised. I think there may also be another book where something similar happens but for the life of me can't remember it!
3 more books with a similar story are Sabre the Horse From the Sea by K M Peyton (writing as Kathleen Herald), Pippas Mystery Horse by J Berrisford and Khazan the Horse from the sea by Joyce Stranger.
In all of these books a girl finds/rescues a shipwrecked horse, and there is the usual worry over the real owner turning up.
The Jinny Series and Midnight Dancer series by Elizabeth Lindsay.
Has anyone else noticed the similarities in these? In both series a family moves from the town to the countryside (nothing strange here but read on...)
In both of them the father of the family gives up job as a teacher to become a potter and in both there is an episode (Gallop to the Hills and Running Free in the Midnight D series) where the dogs are in danger as they are wrongfully accused of sheep worrying! Haven't read either of the series for a while, I suspect there may be more similarities.
Another odd similarity is that not of plot but of name. In Jill and Prince the Pony by (I think) Joan Dicken I was shocked when I found out the girl is called Jill Crewe(!) a name which we all know well from Ruby Fergusons books! Very strange!
I would be really interested to know if there are any other books anyone can think of with similar storylines either to each other or to any of these.