The remarkable true story of Wild Horse Annie's life from her time as a child with polio until her success at paying a law preventing motorised and aiThe remarkable true story of Wild Horse Annie's life from her time as a child with polio until her success at paying a law preventing motorised and airborne vehicles from killing wild horses in America.
This was a fantastic story to end 2018's 50 horse book challenge on....more
Interesting book about a family that take a six month holiday to an island off the Great Barrier Reef to convalesce after a car accident. Whilst thereInteresting book about a family that take a six month holiday to an island off the Great Barrier Reef to convalesce after a car accident. Whilst there the two children discover three horses on a small island and set about taming them.
Added to my 50 horse books in 2018 due to horses being central to the story. Also the strange looking horse face on the cover (which looks like a severed horse head) really drew me to this edition....more
Excellent set of short stories about life in small Australian towns, including a boy who hates getting nedless from the Royal flying doctor, a boy whoExcellent set of short stories about life in small Australian towns, including a boy who hates getting nedless from the Royal flying doctor, a boy whose sister is getting married and a story of a boy who accidentally leaves a milk can to get run over by a train. The book ends with an interview with Max Fatchen and some information about his life.
Added to my horse book shelf because each story includes horses in some way and there is an illustration of a horse on the cover....more
I read the McDonalds Happy Meal version of this book. It was not great. It's told from a diary perspective, and I think some of the language didn't woI read the McDonalds Happy Meal version of this book. It was not great. It's told from a diary perspective, and I think some of the language didn't work, I found parts of it written very simply, but other parts used more adult phrasing. I did like the layout a lot though.
Added to my 2018 horse list because it includes zebras which are a type of wild horse....more
Of all the non-fiction horse books I've read this year, I can honestly say this is the best. It's a simple dictionary format of horse breeds and typesOf all the non-fiction horse books I've read this year, I can honestly say this is the best. It's a simple dictionary format of horse breeds and types, but the illustrations are good, the layout works and the information is interesting. The book starts with two pages about what a horse is, the book ends with a glossary and index, and everything else is just a dictionary.
Listed as one of my horse books in 2018 as the entire book is about horses (and luckily I read this just after reading a book with a zebra on the cover as I now know a zebra is definitely a type of horse)....more
I like a good book aimed at tween boys. Unfortunately this isn't one of them. Erasmus James disobeys his father and uses his zapporter to "Zapp!" himsI like a good book aimed at tween boys. Unfortunately this isn't one of them. Erasmus James disobeys his father and uses his zapporter to "Zapp!" himself to a new world where horses and chicken's speak 'Australian', and rats speak rat.
The blurb makes the book sound a little silly, but like a great adventure. In reality we get 190 pages of a pre-teen's constant complaining about how much better he is than everything around him, followed by about 30 pages of realising that others might have some kind of contribution to society. Erasmus does grow throughout the book (mostly by realising he actually does miss his father, although he's too stubborn to admit it to himself) but it doesn't make up for his thoroughly unlikable personality.
I've added this to my horse shelf because the blurb mentions ninja horses which, although a stretch, do exist in the book. Also, Erasmus is afraid of horses yet gets transported to a world where horses make up a third of the population. Also there's a (view spoiler)[horse rebellion (hide spoiler)]....more
After her mother's death, horse lover Kit Hunter moves in with Colonel Hamden, an old family friend. She has a few adventures and, along the way, becoAfter her mother's death, horse lover Kit Hunter moves in with Colonel Hamden, an old family friend. She has a few adventures and, along the way, becomes a show jumper.
This is the first of the Kit Hunter - Show Jumper series, and is a good introduction to both Kit and her best friend Mary. Things move along fast enough to keep a reader interested, and although any plot twists are very obvious, it's a good enough story that it doesn't matter so much....more
This is the first Conan book I've ever read. There are four separate stories of Conan, two written by the original Conan author (Robert E. Howard), onThis is the first Conan book I've ever read. There are four separate stories of Conan, two written by the original Conan author (Robert E. Howard), one altered from an original story of his, and one I think was just made up. The book starts with the non original author story, and it's pretty dreadful. It is very linear, no plot twists, and when he finally meets the bad guy for the final battle he basically goes "chop" and that's the end of the story. Such an anti-climax. The next two stories are much better, one has a bunch of cannibals out to eat Conan and some random naked lady he finds (I didn't expect the book to be very PC, but I was a bit surprised he spent an entire adventure fighting random people after a lady said "hit all these people and you can have me for the night, don't tell my fiance"), and then Conan fights his way through a magical city after he falls in lust with some random lady he sees at a meeting. The final story is okay, Conan uses his muscles to take over a hidden city of assassins. I'd say single-handedly, but he does get some help. Oh, and there's another random woman who wants to put out for him. Although she doesn't. Overall, a good read as long as you're not expecting any great words of wisdom, and can deal with the 1930s writing implying women are chattel. Listed as one of my horse books of 2018 because Conan rides a horse everywhere he goes. Doesn't this man ever walk?...more
Who the heck would want to live in Sweet Valley? This is the story of how a sappy girl and her psychopathic twin sister help a hick fit in when she moWho the heck would want to live in Sweet Valley? This is the story of how a sappy girl and her psychopathic twin sister help a hick fit in when she moves to town. Although the psychopath only does it for the money. Who thought this was a good idea!? Oh, and the end is so saccharine it was dreadful.
The story showcases two morals. 1) you can't fit in unless you have a special talent, if you don't you're doomed to a life of bring ostracised. 2) instead of owning up to your mistakes, just throw money at them, and that will fix everything.
Tagged as a horse book because there's a horse on the cover (with a girl who looks remarkably similar to the eldest child from Full House, but with a much more patronising smile) and horses feature in a pointless subplot that helps make the entire world good at the end....more
Lauren is excited that get city friends are coming to stay. Even though she had good intentions, she screws things up and it takes hey magical unicornLauren is excited that get city friends are coming to stay. Even though she had good intentions, she screws things up and it takes hey magical unicorn/pony to help set things straight. This book is not well written and I wouldn't really recommend it. The plot is interesting, but there was no connection for me with any of the characters. Added to my horse shelf because it features a horse who turns into a pony, as well as lots of horse riding....more
Written in the 1950s, Phantom Horse follows Jean and her brother Angus as they move from the UK to the US with their family and obsess over a wild PalWritten in the 1950s, Phantom Horse follows Jean and her brother Angus as they move from the UK to the US with their family and obsess over a wild Palomino which everyone in their area wants to catch. I'd like to say that more happens, but it's really 160 pages of a girl's obsession.
There's also a sub-plot about making friends with neighbours, and I think some of the plot is leading to a romance in a later book, but overall this book was overly wordy for what happened in it.
Shelved as a horse book as it has a horse on the cover, the main character rides horses, and she definitely has an obsession with the wild horse....more
The story follows two 13 year old boys who deal with a creepy carnival.
Firstly, the plot itself was great. Creepy carnival folk, good vs evil, boys upThe story follows two 13 year old boys who deal with a creepy carnival.
Firstly, the plot itself was great. Creepy carnival folk, good vs evil, boys up to nighttime mischief. But I don't think the prose has aged as well as it could have. Everything was dense. So dense. I must admit that I skipped huge swathes of text looking for the point of pages. Pages 120-121 could have been summarised as "boys hide under grate, dad walks by during parade". But nooooo, heavy, over-descriptive text abounds. I think this would have worked much better at the time, it really does set up a scene quite intricately, but for me it detracted from a good plot.
This book got to be one of my horse books of 2018 because there's a picture of a merry-go-round horse on it. And seeing as the merry-go-round is a central plot device, I'll say it counts....more
World-famous show jumper Kit Hunter befriends a journalist in Singapore and then ends up in Australia to scope out a property for some horses. Along tWorld-famous show jumper Kit Hunter befriends a journalist in Singapore and then ends up in Australia to scope out a property for some horses. Along the way there's sickness, mystery, and a lot of casual racism!
If you ignore the terrible depiction of the single indigenous Australian man and basically everyone in Singapore, this is a decent story. Kit is a feminist role model for this kind of book (although her friend Mary is a big sap who spends all day whining) and she doesn't take any guff from those around her, she's an expert on horses and show-jumping and she lets people know it.
A good read for my 2018 horse book challenge. Lost a star for some of the language though (it's somewhat clumsily written in parts). I wouldn't recommend to modern children though as the racism is really terrible....more
A very cute book about a girl who buys a horse to save it from the butcher. She's embarrassed by the look of her horse (all matted and ugly) but growsA very cute book about a girl who buys a horse to save it from the butcher. She's embarrassed by the look of her horse (all matted and ugly) but grows to love him by the end. It's sweet.
The illustrations are done in pencil-art, but interestingly the horse is presented as the main focus of each picture - he is nearly always darker than the other characters, and it adds a charm not often seen with these kind of drawings....more
What a terrible book. The Travers family own an inn where they offer visitors pony ride lessons and a bunch of other stuff. Three children are left thWhat a terrible book. The Travers family own an inn where they offer visitors pony ride lessons and a bunch of other stuff. Three children are left there by their father and then nothing happens for most of the book. Finally some stuff happens and by then I didn't care.
A useless book that I regret reading for my 50 horse books in 2018 challenge....more
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