Jump for the Moon

Jinny #10

by Patricia Leitch

Jinny otrzymuje list od wlascicielki stadniny, która podejrzewa, ze Shanti moze byc koniem wykradzionym kilka lat wczesniej z jej stadniny. Jinny staje przed grozba utraty ukochanej przyjaciólki. Chcac po raz ostatni udowodnic wszystkim, na co stac Shanti, startuje w prestizowym konkursie skoków...

Genres: Horses, Childrens

160 pages, Paperback

Published July 11, 1985

About the author

Patricia Leitch (July 13, 1933 - July 28, 2015) was a Scottish writer, best known for her series of children's books about a girl named Jinny Manders and her wild, traumatized Arabian horse Shantih, set in the Scottish Highlands.
The 12 books in the Jinny series were published between 1976 - 1988 by Armada. They are currently in reprint by Catnip Publishers.
Two more of her novels, Dream of Fair Horses (1975) and The Horse from Black Loch (1963) have been republished by Jane Badger Books.
Leitch has also written under the pseudonym Jane Eliot.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really touching entry into the Jinny series. A man sees Jinny riding Shantih from the bus to Inverburgh and soon after a letter arrives from a lady who states that Shantih might be Wildfire, a chestnut mare stolen from her Arab stud. Alongside this, Jinny meets Nick, a girl new to her school, who has a horse called Brandon. The two storylines collide in a show where Jinny must see if Shantih really can jump the moon. After spending nine books thus far with Jinny, watching her adventures with the beautiful Arab horse, it is heartbreaking to see that she might have to give her up. And the ending is incredibly poignant. Very good reading.

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent installment in the Jinny series, and my last for the next few weeks as I don't currently own the final two. I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the final books, but the ten I've read so far have been wonderful.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

The more books I read in this series, the more irritated I become by the silly storylines that take away from the beauty and elegance of Patricia Leitch's writing. So, Sue has been forgotten and Nick has come to take the place of Jinny's pony mad friend - except Nick lives in Inverburgh so can see Jinny all the time and is also a compulsive liar (but that's OK - she has her reasons). Jinny of course has her own problems - having lost Shantih to horse thieves and miraculously by the power of coincidence found her in a carpark earlier in the series, she now thinks she will lose her forever as it turns out Shantih is actually Wildfire, and was stolen a few years ago aged 3 from the Talisker Stud. Mrs Talisker's groom sees Jinny COINCIDENTALLY on a ride and tracks her down. They of course know Shantih is Wildfire with no DNA evidence required and Jinny decides that, if she's going to have to hand her back, she wants to win a jumping rosette first. Because that is of course what you would do. Manders family useless as ever but thankfully less Petra in this!

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shantih flew over the first jump in a burst of speed. At the brush--worth 80 points--Jinny turned her in mid-air to land then soar straight over poles for 90. In two strides they were at the big spread--120 points--then they must stop dead, spin round, and after only one stride clear the Joker. Jinny felt the Arab gather herself for the all but impossible leap, sink down on her quarters and sprint vertically upwards...

No other rider has dared attempt it. Only Shantih can. And they must win because this is their last ride together. After today, Jinny's precious mare will no longer be hers...

The circus that once owned Shantih has come back to claim her...

There is a lot of emotional drama in this series, and this is another one. It does make for heart-wrenching tales. It does feel very much like a young teenager. And that isn't a bad thing because that's what is suppose to be.

I remember these books fondly and their emotional tension still gets to me many decades later...

[Dark-Draco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say that this is the first book where I really got annoyed at Jinny - her complete hysterics over thinking the circus would steal Shantih back, then her over-reaction to the whole Talisker twist .... grrr, I know she is a child in a child's book, but come on.

I did like the fact that the author wasn't scared to tackle the whole loss of a pony thing with the Nick storyline ... something children the world over have to face as they grow up and things change, but I can't say that I actually liked Nick. The easy lying that was almost condoned in the book, made her her rather unlikable, even though I did like the fact that she shows up our Jinny by being the better rider.

Overall, this isn't my favourite Jinny novel - I like the more Celtic, supernatural ones and it seems as if the author lost her way a bit here by trying to impose a bit of real life into the mix.