Paddock Grove: A Pony to Own

Georgina - known as George - is delighted to have been awarded a scholarship at the prestigious Paddock Grove school with its elite equestrian programme. She is allowed to take her own pony with her and hopes her parents will buy Timmy, the horse she has been riding for some time. However, they cannot afford him, and instead George is given Bear, a scruffy and mischievous pony, with whom she just cannot bond. She struggles to settle in to her new school, and Bear is the total opposite of the beautiful thoroughbred horses owned by her classmates.

Snooty Meg Lopez constantly makes fun of Bear and doesn't want him anywhere near her valuable pony. Gradually, George makes friends with Katie, Lili and Tabitha and she and Bear begin to form a real partnership. But when his mischievous behaviour causes chaos, George finds that she may have to leave Paddock Grove and all her dreams of a riding career behind.

Paddock Grove: A Pony to Own is a lovely book, the first in the Paddock Grove series, and is sure to be enjoyed by every pony-mad reader. We follow George as she deals with mean classmates who don't believe she and Bear belong at the school, and her constant longing for Timmy, the pony she loved but couldn't have.

Her blossoming friendship with Katie, Lili and Tabitha is beautifully described, and the girls become a real team. George learns that some of her new friends are dealing with problems and secrets of their own, and they all help and support each other through their troubles. When Lili's very expensive pony is stolen by a gang of thieves, the girls ignore the danger and work together to rescue him, showing great ingenuity and bravery.

Well written and with a great plot, Paddock Grove: A Pony to Own offers the perfect mix of ponies, friendship and boarding school life and the series is going to prove to be extremely popular. Very enjoyable and highly recommended for readers aged 9-12 years.

Reviewed by Beverley Somerset, School Librarian

Suggested Reading Age 9+

Georgia, known as George, has a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school where equestrian teaching is the order of the day. Her parents however, give her a horse she definitely was not dreaming of owning and Bear seems like he will be more of a problem than an asset. Slowly George has to adjust to being away from home, making new friends and also new enemies. At the same time she is struggling to adjust to Bear and things are about to take a turn for the worse.

If you like horses and boarding school stories, then Paddock Grove: A Pony to Own is exactly the book for you. It has lots of horsey details and action and boarding school antics. My daughter, the perfect target market, fell upon this book as soon as she saw it. It really does tick every box for the horse mad child and is an entertaining, if slightly predictable, read.

The cover and map by Max Thompson fit perfectly with the story and add to the over all attraction. I'm not a horse person, but it made me want to pick it up and read it. Suitable for 9+, this is the first in a series that I think will focus on the different friends in each book. I can see it becoming a very popular read.

240 pages / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+