K. M. Peyton


	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 also highly acclaimed and explore far deeper issues than most books in the genre. Kathleen Peyton was born in Brimingham, 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.) She has also suffered a serious riding accident in which she damaged her spine, but with a tenaciousness typical of many of her characters she was up and riding again within 5 months! The 'M' in her 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: Although not technically a pony book series (excepting the first book which does contain a lot of horsy content), I am including this as it is by far the most famous and well-loved of all the author's series. It won the Carnegie Medal for Edge of the Cloud and was made into a popular TV series in the 70s. PONYMAD SERIES RATING: 5 HORSESHOES 1) FLAMBARDS (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1967) ILLUSTRATED BY VICTOR AMBRUS Reprinted many times by Oxford Univ Press and Puffin Paperbacks. SUMMARY: Orphaned Christina goes to live with her crippled horse-mad uncle and her two very different cousins. There she learns to ride and falls in love. 2) THE EDGE OF THE CLOUD (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1969) ILLUSTRATED BY VICTOR AMBRUS Reprinted many times by Oxford Univ Press and Puffin Paperbacks. 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. 3) FLAMBARDS IN SUMMER (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1969) ILLUSTRATED BY VICTOR AMBRUS Reprinted many times by Oxford Univ Press and Puffin Paperbacks. 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? 4) FLAMBARDS DIVIDED (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1981) Reprinted by Oxford Univ Press and Puffin Paperbacks. SUMMARY: Later sequel to the series. Christina's happy life is turned upside down by the return of a man from her past. FLAMBARDS TRILOGY (OXFORD 1979) Reprinted in paperback. An omnibus edition containing the first three books in the series. Collectors Info: The first three are very easy to find in paperback form. Many people don't realise there was a fourth book in the series as it was published many years later. It is harder to find than the others but worth looking for as it ties up the series neatly. First editions rare and fairly valuable. The 3 in 1 omnibus edition is fairly rare and there was also a nice boxed set (pictured bottom right) which is also quite hard to find.


	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: 5 HORSESHOES Read Review of the series. 1) THE SWALLOW TALE (DOUBLEDAY 1995) Reprinted a couple of times in Corgi paperback editions. 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. 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. 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 Collectors Info: Reasonable easy to find in paperback, though a bit harder than the Flambards series on internet auction sites. First editions are harder to find.


	Ruth & Peter 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. The last one was written a while later and follows the adventures of the grown up Peter and Jonathan from the earlier books, and is therefore more adult in theme and for older teenagers (and of course old farts) only. All are excellent reading! 1) FLY BY NIGHT (OXFORD UNIV PRESS 1968 IILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR Has been republished a number of times in hardback and paperback including by Oxford Univ Press, Sparrow and Red Fox. The latest edition is a paperback by Fidra Books. 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) 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: 5 HORSESHOES & TROPHY Read a discussion of the book and vote for it on our forum reading circle 2) THE TEAM (OXFORD UNIV PRESS 1975) ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR Reprintd in paperback by Sparrow and Red Fox. 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: 5 HORSESHOES & TROPHY Read a discussion of the book and vote for it on our forum reading circle 3) THE LAST DITCH aka FREE REIN (USA Title) (OXFORD UNIV PRESS 1983) Published as FREE REIN in the USA by PHILOMEL BOOKS There is also a large print 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 Read a discussion of the book and vote for it on our forum reading circle PONY STORIES 3 IN 1 (RED FOX PB) SUMMARY: Contains Fly-by-Night, plus A Summer of Horses by Carol Fenner and The Second Mount by CPT Interestingly the character of Jonathan from these books also appears in two of K. M. Peyton's non-horsy novels, PROVE YOURSELF A HERO and A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHTS DEATH and an older Ruth is a central character in two non horsy books THE BEETHOVEN MEDAL and PENNINGTON'S HEIR. Visit the related series section below for more information. Collectors Info: Fly-by-night and The Team were published in paperback a number of times. Free Rein/Last Ditch was not. First editions rare and valuable and are not often seen. Even the paperbacks are not overly common, although these two have been recently reprinted by Fidra Books and are now in print. Unfortunately these editions are still more expensive than the older paperbacks. Usually the 3 in 1 edition containing Fly-by-night is the cheapest way to get hold of a copy. Last Ditch is a lot easier to find in the USA under its American title of Free Rein. It is quite rare in the UK, although there is a large print library copy knocking around in some local libraries - worth asking your neighbourhood librarian!


	Gains Series: Historical drama series for older readers. 1) SMALL GAINS (DAVID FICKLING BOOKS 2003) 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 (2005) SUMMARY: When her wild younger sister unintentionally sets a tragedy in motion, Clara once more find herself entangled with the fate of Nat Grover. PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES Collectors Info: Easy to find. Still in print.


	Roman Pony Series: Historical pony series set in Roman times 1) MINNA'S QUEST (USBORNE 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? 2) NO TURNING BACK (USBORNE 2008) SUMMARY: Sequel to Minna's Quest. When Theo, the boy 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. 3) FAR FROM HOME (USBORNE 2009) SUMMARY: Minna must save her beloved horse. Collectors Info: Easy to find. Still in print.


	Other Pony Books: As Kathleen Herald: SABRE THE HORSE FROM THE SEA (ADAM & CHARLES BLACK 1947) ILLUSTRATED BY LIONEL EDWARDS. Published under the name Kathleen Herald. 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? Amazingly, considering the quality of the writing, the author was only 15 when she wrote this! PONYMAD RATING: 3 HORSESHOES THE MANDRAKE - A PONY (ADAM & CHARLES BLACK 1949) ILLUSTRATED BY LIONEL EDWARDS. Published under the name Kathleen Herald. 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 Published under the name Kathleen Herald. Very rare book! 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 As K. M. Peyton: DEAR FRED (BODLEY HEAD 1981) Reprinted in large print edition. SUMMARY: Adult/older child historical novel set in the world of racing where a young girl has a crush on the top jockey of the time. 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) Republished in paperback by Puffin. SUMMARY: Perhaps more of a school story than a pony one, but have included it as there is quite a bit of pony content. Also its funny so worth a read! A bunch of school kids are persuaded to take part in a tetrathlon but they are hopeless! There is a non-pony sequel called DOWNHILL ALL THE WAY PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES THE SOUND OF DISTANT CHEERING (BODLEY HEAD 1986) 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) SUMMARY: Pony novel aimed at younger readers. DARKLING (DOUBLEDAY 1989) Reprinted in paperback. 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) Reprinted in paperback. SUMMARY: A girl and her friend save a neglected pony. LATE TO SMILE (METHUEN 1992) 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 Picture book. SUMMARY: Charming 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. SUMMARY: Fantasy pony novel. THE PONY THAT WENT TO SEA (MAMMOTH 1997) SUMMARY: Pony book for younger readers WINDY WEBLEY (CORGI 1997) SUMMARY: Light hearted pony book for young readers about a 'windy' pony. BLIND BEAUTY (SCHOLASTIC 1999) 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? Fantastic intelligent novel set in the racing world. Best for older children and adults. PONYMAD RATING: 5 HORSESHOES & TROPHY THE SCRUFFY PONY (CORGI PB 1999) ILLUSTRATED BY ROBIN LAWRIE 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 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) SUMMARY: Touching historical pony novel about a boy's devotion to a pit pony. Hankies needed for this one! PONYMAD RATING: 4-5 HORSESHOES STEALAWAY (MACMILLAN 2001) 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: 3 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 a discussion of the book and vote for it on our forum reading circle Collectors Info: The books published under the Kathleen Herald name are quite hard to find, Crab the Roan extremely so. 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. Paradise House and the Roman Pony series are still in print and available new.


	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. 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 a discussion of the book and vote for it on 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: 5 HORSESHOES & TROPHY Read a discussion of the book and vote for it on 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: 5 HORSESHOES & TROPHY Read a discussion of the book and vote for it on 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 spots the exciting and dangerous Patrick Pennington. Despite her mother's warnings, she finds himself 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 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 US 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) 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) 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 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 SUMMARY: Not really part of the series although Patrick and Ruth are minor characters in this novel. Collectors Info: The first in the series is easy to find, the others a little more difficult. US editions may be cheaper.


	Complete reading order for the characters of Ruth, Pennington, Peter and Jonanthan: 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. 1) FLY-BY-NIGHT Features: Ruth & Peter 2) PROVE YOURSELF A HERO Features: Jonathan & Peter 3) THE TEAM Features Ruth, Peter & Jonathon 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)