K. M. Peyton

A highly popular author who is best known for her partly horsy historical series Flambards, which was made into a famous TV series back in the 1970s. Her pony books are highly acclaimed and explore far deeper issues than most books in the genre.

Kathleen Peyton was born in Birmingham, England, in 1929 and like many other pony book authors was very young when she published her first books. The first ones were published under her maiden name of Kathleen Herald. She has also published at least one short pony story under the name of Kathleen Peyton (
The New Rider at Clearwater), there may possibly be more.

Her writing roots were different to that of many other pony authors. She was brought up in a suburban rather than rural environment and could not have a pony of her own. She began to write about ponies to compensate for this. Perhaps because of this different viewpoint her books tend to be rather different in style to that of many other authors in the genre. Her characters are often loners and independent spirits. She also seems to have been something of an independent spirit herself, going to art school instead of university where her parents had expected her to go, and once there eloping with a fellow student. (He was to become her husband.) When she suffered a serious riding accident in which she damaged her spine, she recovered with a tenaciousness typical of many of her characters and was up and riding again within 5 months!

The 'M' in her pen name is taken from her husband's name, Michael. She and he collaborated on a number of magazine articles and stories including adventure stories for a Boy Scout magazine! The novel
North to Adventure was also written with him. Perhaps Ms. Peyton's excellent portrayal of male characters is due in part to the time she spent writing with Michael.

As well as pony stories she has also written many non-pony books for both children and adults including historical, adventure stories and romances. All are excellent reads! One of the other recurrent themes throughout her books as well as horses is the sea and sailing, which her are husband's passions and which he introduced her to.

As well as being a great writer Kathleen is also a talented artist who has a degree in Art and has taught the subject. She has also illustrated many of her own books.


(Sources:
Contemporary Authors, 20th Century Children's Authors)

Flambards Series:
Historical series. Horses appear throughout the series but, except for the first book, it is not technically a pony book series. However I am including this in its entirety as it is by far the most famous and well-loved of all the author's series.  It won the Carnegie Medal for The Edge of the Cloud and was made into a popular TV series in the 70s.
The series was originally a trilogy, but a fourth book was added some time later, which for many readers was an unwanted addition (not because of any lack of quality in the writing but because of what happens in the story itself). The consensus of opinion is that the series is best read as the original trilogy.

1) FLAMBARDS
(OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1967)
ILLUSTRATED BY VICTOR AMBRUS
Reprinted many times in hardback by Oxford Univ Press.
Reprinted many times in paperback by Puffin & Oxford Univ Press.
Published in the USA by World Books in 1968.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1970s hardback reprint, Puffin paperback TV tie-in edition, 1990s Oxford paperback, 2004 Oxford paperback, latest Oxford paperback edition.
SUMMARY: Set in the early 20th century, not long before the First World War. Orphaned Christina goes to live with her crippled horse-mad and autocratic uncle and her two very different cousins. She soon gains the approval of her uncle when she learns to ride and finds herself loving it, unlike her younger cousin Will who prefers the new fangled contraptions motorcars and flying machines!
PONYMAD RATING: GOLDEN TROPHY FOR OUTSTANDING READ

2) THE EDGE OF THE CLOUD
(OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1969)
ILLUSTRATED BY VICTOR AMBRUS
Reprinted many times in hardback by Oxford Univ Press.
Reprinted many times in paperback by Puffin & Oxford Univ Press.
Published in the USA by World Books in 1969.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Puffin paperback, Puffin paperback TV tie-in edition, 1970s Oxford paperback, 1990s Oxford paperback.
SUMMARY: Christina must learn to cope with a new life where aeroplanes take the place of horses and the outbreak of war which will change everything.
PONYMAD RATING: GOLDEN TROPHY FOR OUTSTANDING READ

3) FLAMBARDS IN SUMMER
(OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1969)
ILLUSTRATED BY VICTOR AMBRUS
Reprinted many times in hardback by Oxford Univ Press.
Reprinted many times in paperback by Puffin & Oxford Univ Press.
Published in the USA by World Books in 1970.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, 1970s Puffin paperback, Puffin paperback TV tie-in edition, 1990s Oxford paperback.
SUMMARY: The First World War has arrived and with it comes tragedy for Christina. She returns to Flambards and finds it too has suffered. Can she bring it back to life once more and build a new life for herself in the process. Two new arrivals to her life - one of them from the past - give her the chance to try.
PONYMAD SERIES RATING: 5 HORSESHOES

4) FLAMBARDS DIVIDED
(OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1981)
Reprinted  by Oxford Univ Press.
Reprinted in paperback by Puffin.
Published in the USA in hardback by Philomel in 1982.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Puffin paperback, USA edition.
SUMMARY: Later sequel to the series. Christina's happy life is turned upside down by the return of a man from her past.
PONYMAD SERIES RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

Other editions:

FLAMBARDS TRILOGY
(OXFORD 1979)
Reprinted in paperback.
EDITION PICTURED: Paperback.
SUMMARY: Omnibus edition containing the first three books in the series.

Collectors Info:
All the books were published in the USA as well as the UK and can be found in both these locations, and to a lesser extent in Australia. All are still in print and second hand copies are also very easy to find. First editions are rare and can be pricey, although later hardback reprints are far easier to track down and cheaper and are worth pursuing for the lovely Victor Ambrus jackets. Of the paperbacks, the early Puffins with once again Victor Ambrus art-work, are the most desirable.
The 3 in 1 omnibus edition is fairly rare and there was also a nice boxed set (pictured bottom right) which is quite hard to find.

Ruth, Peter & Jonathan Series:
A very well-loved series about the complicated relationships between people and ponies and between young people themselves. The first two mainly centre on Ruth and Peter, with a little bit of love interest between them in The Team where the character of Jonathan appears. The last one was written a while later and follows the adventures of the grown up Peter and Jonathan and is therefore more adult in theme and for older teenagers and adults. Sadly Ruth does not appear in this story, except in passing mention.
*Ruth and Jonathan also appear in a number of non-pony books written by the author - see below for more information.

1) FLY BY NIGHT
(OXFORD UNIV PRESS 1968
IILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR
Reprinted a number of times in hardback by Oxford Univ Press,
Reprinted in paperback by Oxford, Red Fox , Sparrow and Fidra.
Published in the USA
It was also included in a 3 in 1 paperback published by Red Fox which included also 2 other books by other authors. (See below for more details)
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Oxford paperback edition, Red Fox paperback, Sparrow paperback, USA edition
SUMMARY: Ruth can't manage her self willed pony Fly. The only person who can help is ace rider Peter McNair whom her mother is looking after. But he has been traumatised by his over-competitive father and Ruth is not allowed to talk about horses to him. How will she get Peter to help?
PONYMAD RATING: GOLDEN TROPHY FOR OUTSTANDING READ
Read/take part in a discussion of the book in our forum reading circle

2) THE TEAM
(OXFORD UNIV PRESS 1975)
ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR
Reprinted in paperback by Sparrow and Red Fox.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Red Fox paperback, Swallow paperbak, unknown edition.
SUMMARY: An older Ruth has outgrown her beloved Fly. She ends up buying Toadhill Flax, the only pony that Peter ever loved... Can their friendship survive his resentment?
PONYMAD RATING: GOLDEN TROPHY FOR OUTSTANDING READ
Read/take part in a discussion of the book In our forum reading circle

3) THE LAST DITCH
aka FREE REIN (USA Title)
(OXFORD UNIV PRESS 1983)
Also a large print edition.
Published as FREE REIN in the USA by Philomel.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, USA edition.
NB: This is not strictly a continuation of the series as Ruth does not appear in the book, the two main characters are Peter and Jonathan.
SUMMARY: Jonathan finds himself in a terrible predicament and runs off to help Peter McNair train a horse for the Grand National. In the process he grows up a lot and learns to accept his responsibilities.
PONYMAD RATING: 5 HORSESHOES
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Other editions:

PONY STORIES
(RED FOX PB)
SUMMARY: Omnibus. Contains
Fly-by-Night, plus A Summer of Horses by Carol Fenner and The Second Mount by CPT

Related titles:
Jonathan from these books also appears in two non-horsy novels:
PROVE YOURSELF A HERO
A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHTS DEATH
Ruth appears in three non horsy books:
THE BEETHOVEN MEDAL
PENNINGTON'S HEIR
MARION'S ANGELS
Visit the 'related series' section below for more information on these.

Collectors Info:
Fly-by-night and The Team were published in paperback a number of times. Free Rein/Last Ditch was not. They were published in the USA as well as the UK.  The paperbacks are easy to find and cheap. First editions are rare and may be expensive. Last Ditch is ironically a lot easier to find in the USA (under its American title of Free Rein) than in the UK. It is quite rare here, although there is a large print library copy knocking around in some local libraries - worth asking your neighbourhood librarian about! The 3 in 1 edition is easy to find in the UK

Swallow or High Horse Series
A very popular pony series about a girl and her self-willed pony. This really is a thoughtful exploration of the relationships between a girl and a pony.

PONYMAD SERIES RATING: 4-5 HORSESHOES

Read Review of the series.

1) THE SWALLOW TALE
(DOUBLEDAY 1995)
ILLUSTRATED BY KAYE HODGES
Reprinted a couple of times in paperback by Corgi.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Corgi paperback.
SUMMARY: Swallow enters Rowan's life when her father's car accidentally hits him one dark night. New to the country, Rowan falls in love with the idea of her own pony, but one day her dream is shattered when a man turns up claiming to be Swallow's rightful owner.

2) THE SWALLOW SUMMER
(DOUBLEDAY 1995)
Reprinted a couple of times in Corgi paperback editions.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Corgi paperbacks
SUMMARY: Continues the story of Rowan and her cantankerous pony Swallow. Will she ever be able to control her difficult but loveable pony?

3) SWALLOW THE STAR 
(CORGI 1998)
Reprinted a couple of times in Corgi paperback editions.
EDITIONS PICTURED: Corgi paperback.
SUMMARY: Excitement for Rowan as Swallow becomes a star but heartache too as she begins to realise she may never be able to manage him

Other editions:

3) THE SWALLOW TALES
(CORGI 2012)
Paperback original - in print.
SUMMARY: Omnibus containing all 3 Swallow stories.

Collectors Info:
Reasonable easy to find in paperback. First editions are harder to find. The omnibus edition is in print at the moment.

Gains Series:
Historical drama series for older children. The second book has less pony content than the first.

1) SMALL GAINS
(DAVID FICKLING BOOKS 2003)
Reprinted in paperback.
SUMMARY: The Garland family manage to stave off poverty from the winnings of their champion trotting pony Tilly, but Tilly is getting old. Can Clara, the strong-willed younger daughter of the family find a pony to replace Tilly or will the new champion belong to their rival, the ruthless Nat Grover?
PONYMAD RATING: 5 HORSESHOES

2) GREATER GAINS
(DAVID FICKLING BOOKS 2005)
Reprinted in paperback.
Still in print.
SUMMARY: When her wild younger sister unintentionally sets a tragedy in motion, Clara once more find herself entangled with the fate of Nat Grover, and growing further from the man she loves.   
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

Collectors Info:
Easy to find, especially the paperbacks. Greater Gains is still in print.

Roman Pony Series:
Intelligent historical pony series set in Roman times.

1) MINNA'S QUEST
(USBORNE PB 2007)
SUMMARY: Minna, the young daughter of a blacksmith, raises a sickly foal who goes on to become the pride of the Roman Cavalry. But can Minna and her beloved horse save her village?
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

2) NO TURNING BACK
(USBORNE PB 2008)
SUMMARY: When Theo, the soldier Minna loves, leaves for the big city, Minna can't bear to be left behind and she and her pony Silva follow him. But her actions lead Theo into terrible danger.
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

3) FAR FROM HOME
(USBORNE PB  2009)
SUMMARY: Now an army follower, Minna sees at first hand the reality of war and it devastates her, especially when her both her beloved Theo and horse Silva are hurt. Is it possible that the three of them will ever be able to live together in peace?
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

Collectors Info:
All paperback originals. Easy to find. All still in print.

Other Horse & Pony Books:

THE RIGHT HAND MAN
(OXFORD UNIV PRESS 1977)
ILLUSTRATED BY VICTOR AMBRUS
Reprinted in paperback by Magnet
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition
SUMMARY: Historical story. In Georgian England, young Ned Rowlands becomes coachman and right-hand man to reckless Lord Ironminster, who has lost an arm but not his passion for racing


DEAR FRED
(BODLEY HEAD 1981)
Also a large print edition.
Published in the USA by Philomel in 1981.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, USA edition
SUMMARY: Adult/older child historical novel set in the world of racing. A young girl has a crush on the top jockey of the time Fred Winter. Her parents dismiss the relationship as fantasy, but harsh reality is just around the corner.
PONYMAD RATING: 3 HORSESHOES

WHO SIR, ME SIR?
(OXFORD UNIV PRESS 1983)
ILLUSTRATED BY JOY BARLING
Reprinted in hardback by Oxford Univ Press.
Reprinted in paperback by Puffin.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, unknown edition, Puffin paperback.
SUMMARY: Humourous story. A bunch of school kids are persuaded to take part in a tetrathlon but they are hopeless!
PONYMAD VIEW: Perhaps more of a school story than a pony one, but have included it as there is quite a bit of pony content. Also it is funny so worth a read! There is a non-pony sequel called
Downhill All The Way.
PONYMAD RATING: 5 HORSESHOES

THE SOUND OF DISTANT CHEERING
(BODLEY HEAD 1986)
Also published as a Reader's Digest Condensed Book in 1986.
Reprinted in paperback.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition.
SUMMARY: Adult horse novel. Old Letitia Cutbush lives alone, fiercely independent and insufferably rude to her neighbours, accepting help only from young Rosy Weeks, a "lad" in the racing stable where the old woman once reigned supreme. In the hands of Letitia's grandson, the once-great stable is now a second-rate yard but Rosy dreams of seeing it return to its past glory. Jeremy does too - if his grandmother leaves him her money when she dies.
PONYMAD RATING: 3 HORSESHOES

PLAIN JACK
(HAMISH HAMILTON 1988)
Reprinted in paperback by Scholastic.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, paperback edition
SUMMARY: Pony novel aimed at younger readers.

DARKLING
(DOUBLEDAY 1989)
Reprinted in hardback.
Reprinted in paperback by Corgi.
Published in the USA by Delocorte in 1990, also in paperback by Laurel Leaf.
Doubleday also produced an edition in Canada.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Corgi paperback, unknown edition.
SUMMARY: Pony novel for older children/adults set in the racing world. An intelligent exploration of human relationships as well as an excellent pony story.
PONYMAD RATING: 5 HORSESHOES

POOR BADGER
(DOUBLEDAY 1990)
ILLUSTRATED BY MARY LONSDALE
Reprinted in paperback by Corgi.
Published in the USA by Delocorte in 1992.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Corgi paperback edition, USA edition.
SUMMARY: Ros falls in love with the piebald Badger. When she finds out his owners are ill treating him she decides to take matters into her own hands…
Read Review

LATE TO SMILE
(METHUEN 1992)
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition.
SUMMARY: Adult horse/pony book. A woman finds widowhood enables her to re-visit her first love of horses and horse-racing.

APPLE WON'T JUMP
(HAMISH HAMILTON 1992)
ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR
Possibly reprinted in paperback.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition.
SUMMARY: Picture book. Charming colour illustrated tale for young readers about a pony who won't jump for his younger owner until one day he has a very good reason to!
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

THE WILD BOY AND QUEEN MOON
(DOUBLEDAY 1993)
Reprinted in paperback by Corgi.
EDITION PICTURED: Corgi paperback
SUMMARY: Horsy mystery tale. Sandy finds herself drawn to the strange dark haired boy and his beautiful grey mare, but when things start going missing at her parent's livery stable she begins to wonder if the boy is the culprit.
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

THE PONY THAT WENT TO SEA
(HEINEMANN 1997)
ILLUSTRATED BY ANNA C. LEPLAR
Reprinted in paperback by Mammoth.
EDITION PICTURED: Paperback edition.
SUMMARY: Pony book for younger readers. Paddy, an old forgotten pony, is adopted by Tom and Emily. One stormy night, Paddy is taken aboard the houseboat where the children live. But in the night the boat breaks free - will Paddy be able to rescue them all?

WINDY WEBLEY
(CORGI PB 1997)
Paperback original
EDITION PICTURED: Corgi paperback.
SUMMARY: Light hearted pony book for young readers. Webley is a handsome black army horse but he has an extremely bad habit of emitting loud rude noises from his nether regions when he is bored!

BLIND BEAUTY
(SCHOLASTIC 1999)
Reprinted in paperback by Scholastic/Point in 2001 and later.
Reprinted in paperback by Puffin in 2005.
Published in the USA by Dutton.
Still in print.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, Point paperback,  Puffin paperback, latest Scholastic paperback.
SUMMARY: Tessa has an impossible dream: to ride her horse, Buffoon, in the Grand National. But who will support her plan to become a jockey? She's been repeatedly kicked out of boarding school, and her rich stepfather hates her. And could the sometimes clumsy, nearly blind Buffoon ever be expected to survive such a difficult racecourse?
PONYMAD VIEW: Fantastic intelligent and compassionate novel set in the racing world. Best for older children and adults. Voted the best racing story in our website and forum users poll.
PONYMAD RATING: GOLD TROPHY FOR OUTSTANDIING READ
Read/take part in a discussion of the book in our forum reading circle

THE SCRUFFY PONY
(CORGI PB 1999)
ILLUSTRATED BY ROBIN LAWRIE
Paperback original.
EDITION PICTURED: Corgi paperback.
SUMMARY: Well written pony book for the younger reader. When her father loses his job, Carrie must sell her beloved and expensive pony Red Robin and is heartbroken. A local farmer feels sorry for Carrie. He has rescued an ill-treated pony and thinks that looking after him will cheer Carrie up. But Carrie is resentful of the scruffy pony  whom she calls Skinny Rabbit and only looks after him as she knows he would die otherwise. Eventually Rabbit gets well and Carrie starts to love him. When her father gets a new job he tells her he can now buy Red Robin back. But if he does it will mean losing Rabbit whom she now loves very much. What can she do?
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

THE PARADISE PONY
(CORGI PB 1999)
ILLUSTRATED BY ROBIN LAWRIE
Paperback original.
EDITION PICTURED: Corgi paperback.
SUMMARY: Fantasy pony story for younger readers. Two friends love their ponies but secretly wish their mounts were more talented so they could beat the snooty Shona on her expensive pony in the local show. Then a magical ghost pony appears who could be the answer to their dreams!
PONYMAD RATING: 3-4 HORSESHOES

PONY IN THE DARK 
(CORGI PB 2001)
Paperback original.
EDITION PICTURED: Corgi paperback.
SUMMARY: Touching historical pony novel about a boy's devotion to a pit pony. Tom is devastated when his favourite Shetland pony Storm is sent to work down in the mines. Hankies may be needed for this one!
PONYMAD RATING: 4-5 HORSESHOES
Read review

STEALAWAY
(MACMILLAN 2001)
Reprinted in paperback by Macmillan/Pan.
EDITIONS PICTURED: 1st edition, paperback edition.
SUMMARY: A ghostly pony story. Nicky moves to Scotland, where her mother, a horse trainer, works for Mr. Robson, a wealthy American who has just purchased his family's ancestral estate, Bloodybow Castle. But ghosts of the past are threatening Nicky, her friend Jed and the beautiful stallion Stealaway. Can the children, with the help of a mysterious white mare, lay the ghosts to rest?
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

PARADISE HOUSE
(SCHOLASTIC PB 2011)
In print.
SUMMARY: Historical pony story. When lonely Alice's pony bolts and crashes into a family of strangers, it changes her life forever. Before long, this lonely girl who has never known love has been befriended by the family and is allowed to wander freely in their stables, where they train racehorses. Alice forms a bond with Snatchcorn, a beautiful stallion, so dangerous that it is soon to be put down. Can she save his life by persuading his owner that he can be tamed?
PONYMAD RATING: 3 HORSESHOES
Read/take part in a discussion of the book in our forum reading circle

Collectors Info:
Some of the titles were also published in the USA. Most of the books are easy to find in the UK and many can be found quite easily in the USA also, the titles which had American printings being the easiest. The books can be found elsewhere, but in many cases, not so easily.
The rarest of these titles are The Sound of Distant Cheering (it is easier to find in the Reader's Digest condensed edition) and Apple Won't Jump, although neither titles are usually very expensive.

Most of the later ones are fairly easy to come across and are in paperback form. The exceptions are the adult novels
Late to Smile and The Sound of Distant Cheering which are a bit harder to get hold of.

Blind Beauty and Paradise House are still in print at the last update of this page (Feb 2013).

Pony Books as Kathleen Herald:
The following were written as a teenager under her maiden name. They all have a maturity far beyond her years which set them apart from the usual teen-written pony story.

SABRE THE HORSE FROM THE SEA
(ADAM & CHARLES BLACK 1947)
ILLUSTRATED BY LIONEL EDWARDS.
SUMMARY: A young girl finds a mysterious stallion on the beach. But how long can she keep him before someone from his past turns up to reclaim him?
PONYMAD RATING: 3-4 HORSESHOES

THE MANDRAKE - A PONY
(ADAM & CHARLES BLACK 1949)
ILLUSTRATED BY LIONEL EDWARDS.
SUMMARY: When Lesley bought The Mandrake she thought he was the perfect pony but then she is told 'he's mad' - which is the reality? Or is it something in between. An unusual take on the classic pony story.
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES

CRAB THE ROAN 
(ADAM & CHARLES BLACK 1953)
ILLUSTRATED BY PETER BIEGEL
Very rare.
SUMMARY: When the lovely horse China whom Anna rides, is sold and replaced by an ugly roan, Anna is horrified. She names him Crab and is determined to find fault with him. But as time goes by Crab begins to grow on her...will he be able to prove he is the best horse after all and win her affection? Lovely story.
PONYMAD RATING: 5 HORSESHOES

Collectors Info:
Crab the Roan is very rare and is usually expensive (£100+). The other two are not common but are easier to find than Crab and more reasonably priced. Copies can also be found in the USA, Australia, etc.

Related Books and Series

As well as writing many pony books K. M. Peyton is also a prolific writer of many non-pony children's and young adult novels. Many of the characters seen in the pony books appear in other non-pony books and some of the pony books mentioned above are related to various series. I thought I would therefore include these related books on the author's page.

The two main characters which cross the pony/non-pony divide are Ruth and Jonathan. Jonathan features in a number of adventures on his own, and Ruth appears in a series about rebel pianist Patrick Pennington. All these are featured below with a detailed explanation of how they fit in with the various books and characters as well as a chronological reading order which will enable you to follow the characters through both their horsy and non-horsy adventures!

Jonathan novels:
Jonathan seems to be one of the author's favourite characters and has appeared in a number of books, including 3 pony stories.

This is their chronological reading order.

1) THE TEAM
PONY
NOT MAIN CHARACTER
SUMMARY: Jonathan is reluctantly recruited into the pony club team and there meets Ruth and Peter.
PONYMAD RATING: GOLDEN TROPHY FOR OUTSTANDING READ

2) PROVE YOURSELF A HERO
NON-PONY
MAIN CHARACTER
SUMMARY: When Jonathan is kidnapped he finds his courage tested to the limit - and finds out that his formidable mother is not as cast-iron as she seems!

3) A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DEATH
NON-PONY
MAIN CHARACTER
SUMMARY: School story. When one of Jonathan's school masters is found dead he gets mixed up in shady goings-on. He also takes pity on a soppy girl called Iris, which is to have huge repercussions later on.

4) THE LAST DITCH
aka FREE REIN (USA Title)
PONY
MAIN CHARACTER
SUMMARY: Jonathan finds himself in a terrible predicament and runs off to help Peter McNair train a horse for the Grand National. In the process he grows up a lot and learns to accept his responsibilities.
PONYMAD RATING: 5 HORSESHOES
Read/take part in a discussion of the book in our forum reading circle

Collectors Info:
The non-pony books are very easy to find. The hardest of all of them is Last Ditch (see pony section for more details).

Ruth Novels:
Another favourite character of the author. She appeared as the main character in 2 pony novels and the joint main character in 2 non-horsy books for older readers in the Pennington series, as well as being a minor character in another one. For more on the full Pennington series see the Pennington section below.

This is the chronological reading order:

1) FLY BY NIGHT
PONY
MAIN CHARACTER
SUMMARY: Ruth can't manage her self willed pony Fly. The only person who can help is Peter McNair but he has been traumatised by his over-competitive father and Ruth is not allowed to talk about horses to him. How will she get Peter to help?
PONYMAD RATING: GOLDEN TROPHY FOR OUTSTANDING READ
Read/take part in a discussion of the book in our forum reading circle

2) THE TEAM
PONY
MAIN CHARACTER
SUMMARY: An older Ruth has outgrown her beloved Fly. She ends up buying Toadhill Flax, the only pony that Peter ever loved... Can their friendship survive his resentment?
PONYMAD RATING: GOLDEN TROPHY FOR OUTSTANDING READ
Read/take part in a discussion of the book In our forum reading circle

3) THE BEETHOVEN MEDAL
aka IF I SHOULD MARRY (USA Title)
VERY SLIGHT PONY ELEMENT
MAIN CHARACTER
SUMMARY: Now almost grown up, Ruth finds other interests when her pony Toad is convalescing, and she meets the exciting and dangerous Patrick Pennington. Despite her mother's warnings, she finds herself falling in love with him.

4) PENNINGTON'S HEIR
NON PONY
MAIN CHARACTER
SUMMARY: Despite all the odds, Ruth and Patrick are still together. But when Ruth falls pregnant this threatens their happiness. Can they both make the sacrifices needed?

5) MARION'S ANGELS
NON PONY
MINOR CHARACTER
SUMMARY: Motherless youngster Marion has an obsession with the local church and its stone angels. When Ruth and Patrick arrive in Marion's village, Marion notices their stormy relationship and hopes that her father and Ruth will fall in love.

Collectors Info:
The non-pony books are not common but can be found with a little effort. The others are rarer and may take a bit more searching to find. Sometimes the USA editions are cheaper.

Pennington Series:
Patrick Pennington is an oddity. A born troublemaker, he is also a gifted pianist. Ruth Hollis appears as a main character in the second and third books in the series.

1) PENNINGTON'S SEVENTEENTH SUMMER
aka SEVENTEENTH SUMMER
aka
PENNINGTON'S LAST TERM (USA Title)
NON PONY
SUMMARY: Wilful and bored with school, Patrick Pennington causes as much trouble as he can in his last term at school to the fury of the headmaster and despair of the music teacher who is desperately trying to nurture Patrick's talent as a pianist. But when Patrick is unfairly accused for a crime he didn't commit and victimised by a local policeman, he begins to realise that there is something he actually cares about.

2) THE BEETHOVEN MEDAL
aka IF I SHOULD MARRY  (USA Title)
NON PONY
SUMMARY: Patrick meets Ruth Hollis and a romance develops between the mismatched pair. Told mainly from Ruth's point of view

3) PENNINGTON'S HEIR
NON PONY
SUMMARY: Despite all the odds, Ruth and Patrick are still together. But when Ruth falls pregnant this threatens their happiness. Can they both make the sacrifices needed?

4) MARION'S ANGELS
NON PONY
SUMMARY: Motherless youngster Marion has an obsession with the local church and its stone angels. When Ruth and Patrick arrive in Marion's village, Marion notices their stormy relationship and hopes that her father and Ruth will fall in love.

Collectors Info:
The first in the series is easy to find, the others a little more difficult. USA editions may be cheaper.

Complete reading order for the characters of Ruth, Peter, Jonathan & Pennington:
As all these characters overlap in various books and series (see above) you may want to read them all. This is the correct chronological reading order following the characters as they grow older and meet one another: Books 4 and 6 happen around the same time, as do books 6 and 7 so these could be read in a slightly different order.

1) FLY-BY-NIGHT
Features: Ruth & Peter

2) PROVE YOURSELF A HERO
Features: Jonathan & Peter

3) THE TEAM
Features Ruth, Peter & Jonathan

4) A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DEATH
Features Jonathan

5) PENNINGTON'S SEVENTEENTH SUMMER
Features: Pennington

6) THE BEETHOVEN MEDAL
Features Ruth & Pennington

7) THE LAST DITCH
Features Jonathan & Peter

8) PENNINGTON'S HEIR
Features Ruth & Pennington

9) MARION'S ANGELS
Features Ruth & Pennington (as minor characters)