Do you know these books?

18 August 2007 6 Comments

I’m feeling nostalgic today. Anyone know the title/author of these children’s books?

1 -

The book is set in England (probably published in England), I think, with a girls whose parent(s) (maybe mom only?) runs a sweet shop(?). One way or another she ends up riding a chestnut horse named Quest. They compete cross-country, I think.

2 -

The horse’s name is Farfalla or something similar. I think Farfalla is right, because I just looked it up and it means Butterfly, which is what I remember this horse’s name meaning. There’s a race involved. I don’t remember the setting, but it’s somewhere in Europe. I’m very fuzzy on this one, but I think the angst of the story was whether or not the horse would be selected to compete in the race and, if she was, whether or not she’d survive it (much less win it).

3 -

A girl is out riding when she and her horse are hit by a tractor trailer. I forget the rest. No… that’s the Horse Whisperer. The book I’m thinking of predates that. Hmm. The girl has polio? Stuck in bed for a long time? Her miraculous emotional recovery is aided by her horse, who she finally rides, possibly in some sort of emergency situation? Maybe I’m just making up a story I wanted to read now. 

Horses and Riding, Generally Horse Related, Language and Literature

Comments

There are 6 comments for this entry. Add yours.

Anon says 19 August 2007

I remember reading a book like the third one but i have no idea what it was called.

Bridle Path says 20 August 2007

#3 could be either “Gypsy from Nowhere” or “Gypsy and Nimblefoot”, by Sharon Wagner. I do remember the girl having some scary accident in her past which she was trying to get over. Or the horse was. Or something.

Girls Horse Club says 20 August 2007

All sound interesting, but not familiar.

If looking for something unique among new horse fiction, check out Wind Rider by Susan Williams. A really great story set in prehistoric (4000 BC) Asia.

Rising Rainbow says 21 August 2007

I have no idea. I do have the Gypsy from Nowhere here in all of these children’s books, will see if I can locate it and see if that fits. Otherwise, not a clue.

Anon says 23 August 2007

Gypsy From Nowhere was about a girl who was on an extended visit w/relatives after a recovery from an accident in which she and her horse were hit by a car.  She didn’t want to get back involved in horses again, but this lost filly/mare showed up, and somehow they ended up keeping her.  She kept escaping, and towards the end of the story, the firl rides out on her uncles horse looking for her, and discovers the filly near a wrecked trailer and a mare and newborn foal in a ravine or something.  The mare and filly had been stolen, and the trailer wrecked, but the filly had gotten out of the ravine.  She, and maybe a friend, had to get them all back to the farm in a blizzard, I believe.  It’s been I while, but I think that was the main plot.  It could fit.

Halt Near X says 27 August 2007

Well, the first book is definitely a book called Pony Quest.

Gypsy from Nowhere doesn’t sound quite like the book I was thinking of, but certainly sounds interesting enough to see if my local library has a copy.

#2 - is definitely not Somebody’s Horse, which, while it does have a horse named Farfalla in it, is set in the western U.S. and not Europe.

I’ll have to look around for a copy of Wind Rider as well.

Thanks, everyone. Even if I can’t figure out #2 and #3 for sure, new books are always fun. Even (especially?) children’s books.

Add Your Comment

Remember me?

Notify me when others comment?