Links

This page aims to give you a survey of other sites out there on horse and pony books.  Slowly, there are more sites and blogs appearing, and there’s also a small surge (can you have a small surge?) - an increase, anyway, in publishers reissuing pony book classics.  For more on what’s current in the horse and pony book world, I have an entire section on it here, a page on the latest news here, and review books regularly on my blog.

 

 

Publishers of pony books

The major publishing houses have their Heartlands etc, but these independent publishers are republishing classic horse and pony books:

 

Fidra Books: an Edinburgh based publisher (or should that be re-publishers) of Primrose Cumming, Josephine Pullein-Thompson, K M Peyton, Katharine Whitlock and Pamela Whitlock and their latest, Ruby Ferguson.   

 

Fidra Books have their own shop in Edinburgh, stocking their books, and an extensive range of other titles.  

 

 

 

Girls Gone By: publishers (again, re-publishers) of Monica Edwards (and many other authors): most of hers weren’t strictly pony books, but here’s where to come if you’re an addict. All of her titles will be re-published eventually.

 

Girls Gone By do limited reprints, so if you want one of their books, swoop while they’re still in print.  They very soon rocket up in price on the secondhand market.

 

 

Catnip:  Catnip are reissuing Patricia Leitch’s Jinny ser ies.  Their edition is actually my favourite of all the Jinny editions:  it’s far more substantial than its Armada predecessors.

 

So far (Dec 2010) Catnip have issued the first four Jinny titles.

 

 

 

Andersen Press:  Monica Dickens has now joined the ranks of pony book authors to be republished.  The Andersen Press, probably best known to parents for producing the multi-coloured elephant Elmer, have republished the first in the series (well, technically it’s the second: Cobbler’s Dream preceded it) Follyfoot.  

 

 

 

 

 

American companies

Image Cascade:  Image Cascade publish out of print girl’s stories, in a similar fashion to Girls Gone By.  As well as a range of other, non pony, authors, they have published Janet Lambert’s Dria Meredith books, and Anne Emery’s Scarlet Royal.

 

 

 

 

The Will James Art Company: as well as producing various merchandise with Will James’ illustrations, this company has reissued most (if not all) of Will James’ books.  Unusually, many are available as hardbacks.

 

Poppet Press: has reprinted the Barbara van Tuyl’s Bonnie series, one of American horse book readers’ favourites.

 

The Press has reprinted the whole series, and it is available in the UK.

Pony Book Sites

There are various sites with sections devoted to pony book authors (not many, it has to be said) and I’ve linked to them on the relevant pages on my site. There are however other general sites:

 

 

www.ponydom.com “A database of horse books: trashy reading and fine literature, for your pleasure.” This is an American site aimed at uniting those who want to read horse

books with the right book.  Although it’s an American site, it does list a lot of UK pony books. It has a search facility and you can look up whatever titles you fancy and get a synopsis (which can vary in length!) and a grading. It’s a really interesting site.

 

www.ponymadbooklovers.co.uk: A UK based site with a short list of books for sale and general information on pony books. The site’s owner, Claire, does very good reviews. The site also has another pony books forum.

 

Pony book related blogs

The Pullein-Thompson Archive:   whose owner is gradually working her way through all of the Pullein-Thompson’s works, meaning there will be a full list of all their books with reviews.

Mad About Pony Books: a blog from a pony book fan, with comments and reviews.

 

The Pony Book Chronicles: an excellent blog from an American author; wry and informative, the blog is always worth a read.  

 

Whitebrook Farm:  this blog grew out of the authors’ obsession with Joanna Campbell’s Thoroughbred series.  The majority of the books covered there are from that series, but other books receive their unique treatment too:  if they don’t like a book, there is absolutely no way you can miss the fact.

 

Great Books for Horselovers:  another American-based blog, with author interviews and reviews.

 

Horse Book Reviews:  an American-based blog, which reviews current publications.

 

 

Television series

Several pony books have been made into television series (or spawned books - it’s worked both ways).

 

Follyfoot:  Monica Dickens’ Follyfoot was turned into an extremely popular 1970s television series.  There’s a fansite, and a forum for fans.

Follyfoot - a Fan Tribute.  It contains the Follyfoot Forum -  which you do need to join to be able to view.

 

Flambards: K M Peyton’s Flambards was another television hit of the 1970s.  It has a tribute website.

 

Heartland:  the Lauren Brooke series has been televised by a Canadian company, which describes the books as “a sprawling family saga,” which makes it sound more like Dynasty, but perhaps that’s what they were aiming at.

 

The Saddle Club: another long series that’s made it into television is Bonnie Bryant’s Saddle Club.  The website announces firmly at the beginning that “each character has a distinctly different personality.”  I’m sure that they do, but I wonder why the company felt they had to make the point.