Fetlocks Hall 4: The Enchanted Pony by Babbette Cole (7 years +)

                                                                 (Funky purple cover!)

June 2011, Bloomsbury

144 pages, Paperback

Review copy 

Children's, 7 years + 

life at boarding school, pony mad children, school mad centaureen, making new friendships, ghostly fun, lots of humour, tissues are definitely needed

Summary from Bloomsbury

Penny Simms and her best friend Pip are both pony mad. Luckily they attend the equestrian boarding school Fetlocks Hall, but there is a mystery surrounding the disappearance of Pip’s parents, and Penny and Pip are determined to solve it.

With the help of Princess Sophie, a Centaureen, Penny and Pip encounter a magical world of mythical horses, where they struggle to release Pip’s parents from an enchanted spell and reunite the family

Nayuleska's reasons for loving Penny....she goes to great lengths to help the Centaureen learn to read - although she surprises Penny with her skill. In turn the Centaureen helps Penny overcome a few problems. 

Is there another character who deserves a mention? The Centaureen is really funny, I wished so hard that she could fit in at Fetlocks, but she does eventually fit in at home with her family, thanks to Penny. 

How evil/nasty is the enemy? I liked how once again the problem in the story was magical in nature, but centred around Pip's parents (who are mortal). The creatures at the heart of the kidnapping are sneaky in how they trap people and I was scared for Penny even with all her abilities as the Unicorn Princess. 

Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? There are shedloads of surprises in this book - I looked stunned for most of it. I laughed a lot, and the end made me well up with tears. 

My favourite part was...when the Centaureen was true to herself, and used skills which were incredibly awesome. Also the end, because several characters had a happy resolution to their problems. I like crying happy tears over a book. 

This series keeps on getting better - book 4 gets 10/10 from me. 

You can find out more about Fetlocks Hall and Babbette on her website.

Suggested read

Check out the other books in the series (all reviewed here on NRC), which start with The Unicorn Princess

Fetlocks Hall 3: The Curse of the Vampire Ponies by Babbette Cole (7 years +)

June 2011, Bloomsbury

128 pages, Paperback

Review copy

Children's, 7 years + 

life at boarding school, pony mad children, friendships, strange acquaintances, more ghoulish help, pony vampires, school inspection 

Summary from Bloomsbury

Penny Simms is pony mad and is more than a little upset when a flock of foul-smelling pony vampires are found at the equestrian boarding school that she attends. They have been sent by the wicked Devlipeds to disrupt an official health and safety inspection, which the school must pass or risk being closed down.

With the help of her intrepid friends, Penny does her best to rid the school of the unwelcome guests with hilarious and unexpected results.

Nayuleska's reasons for loving Penny...she's the only one who can save ponies from the pony vampire bites. She is also the only one to liaise between feuding ghosts/friends. 

How evil/nasty is the enemy? You'd think that having a school inspection is bad enough, but the real enemy is the one who brought Fetlocks Hall to the inspectors' attention - they want it to be closed, so have highlighted parts of school life which aren't up to standard of 'normal' schools. 

Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? I as read the book there were lots of cheers and boos as the story unfolded. Plenty to keep a reader interested, especially if they've read the previous books. They can be read out of order - I managed to read the books in the wrong order after book 1 by accident. Still made perfect sense. 

My favourite part was...when Penny had to overcome obstacles to help save her own pony, Patch. It was touch and go in a lot of places. 

This third book in the series gains 10/10 from me. 

Check out more about Fetlocks Hall on Babbette's website. 

Suggested read

Make sure you've read the previous books, which start with book one, The Unicorn Princess (book two is The Ghostly Blinkers) 

Fetlocks Hall 2: The Ghostly Blinkers by Babbette Cole (7 years +)

May 2010, Bloomsbury

126 pages, Paperback

Review copy 

Children's, school series, 7 years + 

life at boarding school, friendships, very friendly ghosts, fundraising, a bit of magic, stubborn horse, lots of humour, 

Summary from Bloomsbury

Fetlocks Hall is in trouble! The school is desperately short of funds and, unless some money can be found, it may have to close! The Headmistress is not sure what to do. Penny is determined to help and draws on her magical powers in a nail-biting bid to solve the problem. Soon Penny and the ghosts, as well as many of the school’s ponies, are involved in an exciting race to the finish!

Nayuleska's reasons for loving Penny...even with her special talents as the Unicorn Princess, she still has to work hard to come up with solutions to problems. Being friends with the ghosts means she's able to explore all avenues to help her mortal friends. 

How evil/nasty is the enemy? The threat of being closed down for any institution is a great motivator. Without Fetlocks Penny wouldn't have as much fun, and the would would be at risk from Devilpeds. Ponies with attitude are a force to be reckoned with. 

Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? This book in particular took the story in directions I hadn't thought of. 

My favourite part was...when the truth of the ghostly blinkers is revealed - it is very funny. 

This second book in the series gets 10/10 from me. 

Be sure to check out Babbette's website for more information on Fetlocks Hall. 

Suggested read

Be sure you've read book one, The Unicorn Princess 

Fetlocks Hall #1: The Unicorn Princess by Babbette Cole

(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.