(This is such an inviting cover!)
May 2010, Bloomsbury
160 pages, Paperback
Review copy
Children's,
riding school series, magic, unicorns, friendly ghosts, boarding school, pony mad children, competition, friendships, adventure, mild peril, lots of humour,
Summary from Bloomsbury
Penny Simms is pony-mad and is thrilled when she wins a scholarship to Fetlocks Hall, an equestrian boarding school. But Fetlocks Hall is no ordinary school – besides schoolwork and riding lessons, Penny has the opportunity to acquire secret knowledge about horses as well as find out about the magical unicorn world of Equitopia. Soon she is caught up in a desperate struggle to help the unicorns combat a terrible plot by the evil Devlipeds, who are plotting to overthrow them. Is Penny the Unicorn Princess whose arrival is predicted by the King of the Unicorns? Can she defeat the Devlipeds and save the unicorns and the pony world?
Nayuleska's reasons for loving Penny...she's a sweet, enthusiastic girl who always wants to help put things right. She takes the extraordinary parts of her new life in good stride, is very courageous and easily makes friends.
Is there another character who deserves a mention? The ponies at the school! They are funny characters, especially when Penny understands what they are saying.
How evil/nasty is the enemy? People wanting to take over the world is never a good ambition. Penny has her work cut out, especially when potential Devilpeds helpers plot against her.
Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? A few parts were predictable, but the way of reaching the end goal was full of surprises, especially with the ghosts being around.
One of my favourite parts was...chapter 3, The Rainbow of Stars. I adore the illustration and the scene of Penny going between the two unicorns. (All illustrations are by Babbette, and really suit the feel of the book).
I give this fun first book in the series 10/10!
Be sure to check out more about Fetlocks Hall and Babbette on her website.
Suggested read
If you like school stories, try Skate School 1: Ice Princess by Kay Woodward - no magic, but friends are made by Frankie and she encounters the competitive nature of ice skating.
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