Pony Camp Diaries: Kelly McKain

Stripes Publishing, 2007. £3.99

A series: so far there are 5 books

Rating:  «««

Written in diary form, each book is about the adventures of one of the girls who are on holiday at Sunnyside Stables, where they have a pony allotted to them for the week. It's aimed, we thought, at children of 8 upwards - certainly primary age and no older.

My 12 year old and I read the first in the series, Sophie and Shine. Sophie doesn't have a pony of her own, and is given Shine to look after for the week. The other campers are all girls, and they have the usual parade of lessons, outings and an end-of-camp gymkhana, plus a well pitched mystery.

What happens with the ponies is good and accurate (which is more than can be said for the illustrations). We disagreed about the way the technical bits are described. Miranda said "if you weren't horsey, you wouldn't have a clue about what was going on. If you're not horsey, how are you supposed to know what transitions and dressage are?" I thought Kelly McKain had wisely resisted the temptation to explain what would be incomprehensible to a non-rider and clutter up the story.

The one thing that did prickle at me was the letter from the stable owner that starts the whole thing off. "Your pony can't wait to meet you!" it says. Most of the riding school ponies I've known, when I led them out to greet their bumpety beginner, were plainly thinking "Oh gawd, here we go again," but I think this painting of ponies with the glib brush of cheeriness is all part of the point of view which seems to think children will only respond to something if it’s cool.   

Miranda liked the style in which it was written, and the diary format. For her the style is not unusual, though she appreciates other styles just as much if not more.  For her fussy mama, it was plain irritating, and at one point I was so infuriated by the relentless use of the exclamation mark I was reduced to counting them to see if there were any pages on which they'd been missed out. I think my daughter was rather more taken by the book than her comment here would suggest.  “It’s not something I’d pick up again - well, I would, but I’d only pick it up if there was nothing else to read.”

So, our verdict. Well, I'd agree with Miranda. It's a good enough read:  it is absolutely of the moment, but is there something about the characters that grabs you, that gives you that sense that yes, you know how this feels, and you want more? No.

Kelly McKain

Kelly McKain has worked as a pre-prep teacher and as a copywriter.  She now writes full time, and has written for teenagers as well as younger age groups.  She lives in Chiswick, and loves chocolate as well as riding, yoga and the colour purple (which might explain the colour of the cover opposite.)  

Her Pony Camp Diaries series, reviewed below, is written in the breathless (and to an adult ear, relentless) style that many children’s television programmes are delivered in.  The books, and her website are so determinedly upbeat I actually feel mean griping about this, as I feel she’d cry.  It feels like walloping a labrador puppy.

Kelly McKain's website

Pony Camp Diaries Series
 

Megan and Mischief , 2006
Poppy and Prince, 2006
Chloe and Cracker, 2007
Sophie and Shine, 2007

Charlie and Charm, 2008

Emily and Emerald, 2008

Jessica and Jewel, 2009

Lauren and Lucky, 2009

Hannah and Hhope, 2010