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Frogmorton Farm #2.5

Joy to the World

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A Frogmorton Farm short story from the bestselling author of the Chronicles of St Mary's.

It's Christmas time again and all is not well at Frogmorton Farm.

Jenny and Russell's daughter, Joy, is growing up. Not quickly enough as far as she's concerned but far too quickly according to Russell.

Father and daughter are at odds and suddenly the outlook is very dark indeed. That is until Thomas comes to the rescue.

Everyone should have their own giant invisible golden horse . . .

48 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2020

247 people are currently reading
392 people want to read

About the author

Jodi Taylor

84 books5,387 followers
Jodi Taylor is the internationally bestselling author of the Chronicles of St Mary's series, the story of a bunch of disaster prone individuals who investigate major historical events in contemporary time. Do NOT call it time travel! She is also the author of the Time Police series - a St Mary's spinoff and gateway into the world of an all-powerful, international organisation who are NOTHING like St Mary's. Except, when they are.

Alongside these, Jodi is known for her gripping supernatural thrillers featuring Elizabeth Cage together with the enchanting Frogmorton Farm series - a fairy story for adults.

Born in Bristol and now living in Gloucester (facts both cities vigorously deny), she spent many years with her head somewhere else, much to the dismay of family, teachers and employers, before finally deciding to put all that daydreaming to good use and write a novel. Over twenty books later, she still has no idea what she wants to do when she grows up.

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5 stars
637 (53%)
4 stars
334 (27%)
3 stars
200 (16%)
2 stars
26 (2%)
1 star
4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
Profile Image for Bonnie DeMoss.
932 reviews182 followers
November 14, 2020
Oh how I love everything written by Jodi Taylor! This short story in the Frogmorton Farm series is no exception. You will laugh and cry.

There is a serious message in this short story that cannot be missed, but there is also love, Joy, and a golden horse. Joy feels unappreciated and unloved by her father, Russell, and she feels her mother Jenny is weak and clueless. Her only friend is Tommy, a girl she met online. And that's where the trouble starts...

I would suggest starting with the first book in this series, The Nothing Girl, so you will know the whole story of Jenny, Thomas, Russell, and more. In The Nothing Girl, Jenny is an orphaned girl who has a pronounced stutter. She lives a loveless life with her coldhearted aunt and uncle, until the arrival of a giant golden horse. This series is heartfelt and addictive. I love it so much that I want to go live at Frogmorton Farm.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, read by Lucy Price-Lewis, who does a great job, especially with the voice of Thomas.

Since I am a huge fan of Jodi Taylor's, I also recommend you read The Chronicles of St. Mary's, about an organization of hilarious time-traveling historians, and The Time Police, a spinoff of that. Everything Jodi Taylor writes is amazing.
Profile Image for Sara.
1,495 reviews432 followers
December 13, 2024
Nice little short Christmas light novella set in the Frogmorton world. We get the obligatory appearance from Thomas and all the animals on the farm, but this time it's told through the eyes of a now 14 year old Joy. While interesting to see her perspective I admit I missed Jenny's inner monologue. This also could have been set at any time of the year of you took out the Christmas light description in Rushford and the one page church Nativity at the end.

Nice enough 20 minute read, but don't expect anything Earth shattering.
Profile Image for Moonkiszt.
3,035 reviews333 followers
December 28, 2020
Oh, Jodi Taylor. You are my secret sin. (I'm working on it, ok?)

I will read anything by JT, and enjoy the mad-campen-ness of it. The Frogmorton series, with the hold-your-breath-will-Thomas-show-? is thoroughly satisfying EVERY time. I love everything about it. It's Monty Python/James Herriot/Vicar of Dibley all rolled together.

Do you smell that? Yep. Whiff of Ginger Biscuits. I'm going to go buy me some. See ya!
Profile Image for Kerry Bridges.
703 reviews10 followers
November 21, 2020
I love jodi Taylor's books and I read this lovely little short story in an evening.

It has got a serious message actually, but it is very well done as usual. I would read the other Frogmorton Farm stories first as Jodi is one of those authors who actually respects loyal readers and this story will definitely be better if you know the background.

What on earth can you do if your father is Russell Checkland and he's grounded you for the rest of your life. Read Joy's story to find out...
Profile Image for Colleen.
134 reviews11 followers
November 12, 2020
39 Pages, just 39 Pages and I'm sobbing into a bowl of crunchy nut cornflakes.

A fellow Disaster Magnet once told me that "Jodi butters you up, rips out your heart, then tucks you back into bed like nothing ever happened." It's proven true once again in this fantastic and heart-warming (and at times downright terrifying) addition to the Frogmorton farm series.

I may need some emotional support. Does anyone else smell ginger biscuits?

Profile Image for Paul .
56 reviews
January 4, 2021
Whenever I see a book about Frogmorton Farm, it is a "must read" and this was no exception. The writings from a teenage point of view threw me to start, as the spelling is poor (as most teen spelling is these days - he says, checking his spelling at 55!), but once I got used to it, everything made sense and made it more fun.

What happens in this book, I shall not divulge, but it takes a common scenario in modern teenage life and shows what can go wrong and the serious consequences that can occur as a result, especially if you don't have an invisible golden horse that smells of warm ginger biscuits to save you.

You can read this as a stand-alone story, but to get the background on the Checkland family, I would recommend reading the other stories, The Nothing Girl, The something Girl and the short story that fits between them. Little Donkey (also a Christmas tale).

Right, thassit.. Speeling chicked. Click Post bottom!
Profile Image for Carien.
776 reviews3 followers
February 18, 2021
She ALWAYS makes me cry as loudly as I laugh.
Profile Image for Titus Fortner.
1,392 reviews19 followers
January 21, 2025
Excellent short story in a fun world. Also, as a parent, quite scary.
Profile Image for Amy Kitcher.
57 reviews5 followers
January 14, 2021
Argh! I love Jodi Taylor's books, and I adored the previous Frogmorton Farm books, however this one didn't hit the mark for me. Joy Checkland is meant to be 14, however, she has the 'voice' of a much younger child, maybe 10ish? It didn't feel authentic at all She was too whiny and simply not rounded, more like a stereotype of a child than a real character. Also, there wasn't enough of the other characters we have come to love. Russell - who is hilarious- has next to no dialogue. I would have loved if this could have been fleshed out a little more. It felt rushed and not at all satisfying.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
398 reviews6 followers
November 17, 2020
Enjoyable but I would have liked to hear from Jenny’s perspective as well
Profile Image for Annette.
118 reviews5 followers
November 15, 2020
Jodi Taylor writes another of her fantastic short stories featuring characters from her Frogmorton Farm series. She'll have you in tears, make you laugh out loud and understand the very real dangers of the internet, all in 39 pages. She really is a genius!
Profile Image for Barbara.
549 reviews16 followers
November 14, 2020
Another wonderful Frogmorton Farm story. Please read the series in order so this one makes sense - it won't work out of context and that would be a very sad thing.
Profile Image for Deb.
73 reviews
November 20, 2020
Why do these stories have to be so short and why does Thomas always have to leave!!!! I am left wanting more time with him and the story!!!
Profile Image for Alicia.
362 reviews13 followers
April 6, 2025
4 stars

I think I’m finally through any Christmas short story Jodi Taylor has to offer, so now I can stop feeling weird about reading them in January.

Joy to the World is a short story from the perspective of Jenny and Russell’s teenage daughter, Joy. Grounded and ready to sneak out of the house, she winds up in a bit of trouble that only one imaginary friend can rescue her from.

The story was cute. I liked the switch to her perspective, which brought some freshness to the family story. I was a little annoyed that some questions were not fully answered in the end, but I’ll live.

5.0 —One of the best I've ever read! It will be burned into my brain. If there were any flaws, I didn't care. I would recommend to everyone.
4.5 —I loved this! It was very memorable. There weren't many flaws. I would recommend to anyone.

4.0 —I really liked this. It probably will be memorable. There may have been some minor flaws. I'd recommend to fans of the genre.
3.5 —I mostly liked it. It might be memorable. There were some notable flaws. I'd recommend to fans of the genre.
3.0 —I somewhat liked it. It might be memorable. There were significant flaws. I might recommend to people who like similar books.
2.5 —I was underwhelmed or unimpressed. It wasn't memorable. It had significant flaws. I might recommend to people who like similar books.
2.0 —I was disappointed. It wasn't memorable or it was memorable for the wrong reasons. It had major flaws. I probably wouldn't recommend.
1.5 —I did not like this at all. It was memorable for the wrong reasons. It had so many flaws. I wouldn't recommend to anyone.
1.0 —I hated this. I wish I never wasted my time on it. I would actively dissuade people from reading this.
Profile Image for Nicola Friar.
Author 8 books36 followers
October 21, 2021
A short and sweet return to Frogmorton Farm. Russell and jenny's daughter, Joy, is a typical teenager at odds with her parents and desperate for some excitement in her life. What she gets is a giant golden horse. A lovely return and nice to see glimpses of our favourite characters again. I just wish that there were more Frogmorton books because it's such a magical and charming series.
474 reviews5 followers
March 22, 2024
Always violence... Why.???

Themes run through her books and short stories...
Child abuse and neglect... Not in this particular story but in many others...
Violence against women and among men.
Loneliness and abandonment.
Breaking rules...school, parental, workplace, societal...
Escaping.
Conscience driven choices and actions
Humor in even the direst situations.
Love and friendship.
Magic and Imagination and imaginary friends and voices in one's head that help one decide one's actions.
Over and over again these themes appear...
I wonder WHY???
This story encapsulated many of her usual themes, phrases, responses to crises, dialogues and monologues...
Sometimes the stories get mixed up in my head...only the names have changed to protect ...who? Whom?
Regardless, I truly love her characters relationships with each other...at least the main characters and their relationships with one another.
I love the development of the characters in her books over Time...they are maturing and deepening their relationships.
Everyone is three dimensional and feels Real to me.
One does get the sense of being there...in the middle of the action or Luke a fly on the proverbial wall...
So many truly magical qualities in the writing as well.
With some reservations, I recommend these books in all her series for anyone who loves...love, history, research well done adventure, relationships, evolving story lines and characters, plot, arcs in plot that resolve over Time, Time travel , laugh out loud funniness and mirth, tissue worthy pathos and meaningful scenes that include loss, and some really fine writing in amongst the mistakes.


Profile Image for Chari.
170 reviews9 followers
January 4, 2021
It's Christmas time again and all is not well at Frogmorton Farm.

Jenny and Russell's daughter, Joy, is growing up. Not quickly enough as far as she's concerned but far too quickly according to Russell.

Father and daughter are at odds and suddenly the outlook is very dark indeed. That is until Thomas comes to the rescue.

Everyone should have their own giant invisible golden horse . . . (Synopsis by Publisher)

A short story and the final instalment of “The Frogmorton Farm” series by Jodi Taylor. This is such a beautiful way to round up the series. Full of teenage angst, parental problems and the scary possibility of child abduction (I swear it’s a Christmas story) Jodi Taylor’s latest sweet story is the perfect way to round of Jenny and Russel’s story (although I really really REALLY hope it’s not the end)
Profile Image for Claire.
765 reviews
December 5, 2021
I'm a big fan of Jodi's writing and have listened to the Frogmorton Farm books as audiobooks, so it was enjoyable to listen to this short novella. I thought it was going to be a bit more Christmas-themed, like the St. Mary's Christmas listens, but I was mistaken. I still enjoyed it. I felt it was a bit over-short on details. I'd like to know more about who the 'bad guys' were and whether they were specifically targeting Joy or just generally targeting young women. It also seemed that suddenly experiencing Joy's world at age 14 was a huge leap forward in the timeline, and I can't imagine that she went for that many years without ever meeting Thomas before. That seemed kind of sad. But, if you're a fan of Jodi's writing and this series, do take the time to read this!
Profile Image for UltraMeital.
1,283 reviews49 followers
July 20, 2024
A sweet read (rather - listen). Like the name suggests this book centres on the POV of Russell and Jenny's daughter - Joy, now 14 years old.

If you've been a fan of the two previous novels it's an enjoyable reminder, and if you haven't I guess it could be read as a stand alone / introduction (with mild spoilers).

Though it's fun getting the shenanigans of this bunch it actually deals with a very serious matter. It isn't discussed but it's there and I hope it will remind/alarm whomever needs it of dangers we sometimes neglect to see/detect.

It ended beautifully. Just the way it should.
227 reviews15 followers
November 12, 2020
I like this series, read all the books in it. This Christmas short novella is possibly readable if you've not read the rest, can't really tell.
Started a bit downbeat for me - it is told from the point of view of the main characters' daughter, who is now a teenager - and feeling really misunderstood and stroppy.
Enjoyed revisiting the world and there were some subtleties of having a new viewpoint that made it interesting.
There were also a few typos - or deliberate mis-spellings because it was a teenager writing. Not sure which but either way found it a little irritating.
Profile Image for Helen Lloyd.
144 reviews
January 1, 2021
Another lovely Frogmorton offering, from Joy's perspective and set 14 years after little Donkey and the Something Girl. A little unsubtle about the dangers of the internet but that's no bad thing, and it was lovely to hear more about my favourite characters (but I needed more about Kevin and Sharon, and Mrs-Bill-the-Insurance-Man, and Tanya and Andrew). But most importantly limited to 4 stars because WHO TRIED TO KIDNAP JOY? Is Christopher back? I definitely need a sequel to fill in some gaps.
You need to have ready the others in the series to fully appreciate this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Phyllis E. Strode.
68 reviews
November 30, 2020
Short and very sweet!

I really admire Jody Taylor’s writings. She has the talent to combine so many emotions in her stories that ultimately stroke the heart in various ways. I’ve read pretty much all of her books ( short and long) and she never fails to draw me in. This is a short story that’s easy to relate to. Although you can read it as a stand alone, she has written related stories available for downloading that add to the depth of the characters in this book. ENJOY!
Profile Image for Nancy Nosek.
9 reviews
December 26, 2020
Joy for the Reader

I wouldn't usually give the full star load for a book; after all, nothing is perfect. But reading this gift of a story on Christmas night in a pandemic year is a comforting virtual hug with the only thing touched is your soul, which is the most important, anyway. I don't know if I would be special enough to be able to see Thomas myself, but I'm grateful that I can read about him. Enjoy~
Profile Image for Kirsty Johnson.
66 reviews
April 15, 2021
Beautiful storyline

As always Jodi Taylor has done it again. She has taken an issue that children face all the time in todays world and tied it into her magical world of story telling.
I love reading the frogmorton series as well as all her other books. Taylor is an author who can write so many different styles, which not many authors can achieve. If you love this then read everything else's you can find written by Taylor. You won't be disappointed.
Profile Image for Sally Stanton.
973 reviews12 followers
June 4, 2021
I'm in the virtual Jodi Taylor Fan club and I especially love to read about the Frogmorton Farm escapades. This was a sweet story with some excitement in the middle which brings back Thomas (my favorite character in this series). It's more about Joy, their 14 year old daughter, feeling lonely and misunderstood. Typical teenage angst.
I read or listen to anything in this series so a short story is okay. I long for another novel which I hope is in the making.
Profile Image for Katy.
1,494 reviews10 followers
May 27, 2023
This was a cautionary tale, but wrapped up in the love of family.

Thomas, the great golden horse, helps thirteen year old Joy, out of a very bad situation.

As usual, Jodi had me laughing out loud, and crying like a tap left wide open! Lol

A wonderfully seasonal short story.

I'm now off to read the other short story for this series: Little Donkey!

I really love these Donkey stories!

So, I'll catch you on the flip side, and let you know what I think of Little Donkey.
157 reviews1 follower
December 12, 2024
A lovely Christmas tale

As always, I can't read about Frogmorton Farm and Thomas without a lump in my throat and this tale is no different.

Its told from Joy's point of view, and like most teenagers, she hates her parents. However, Russel comes through in his inimitable way to save both the day and Joy.

A lovely addition to the Frogmorton series. If you've not read any, what are you waiting for? You won't be disappointed.

272 reviews1 follower
November 14, 2020
Joy is Russel's and Jenny's daughter - to the readers who love the books of Frogmorton Farm and the family who lives there that means that things are quite different for a teenager in that house.

This little book is filled with dread, overwhelming love, caring and the spirit of Christmas (and a big golden horse named Thomas).

A wonderful read.
23 reviews
November 19, 2020
Joy

5 stars because it's joyously Jodi Taylor. I just love the way she tells a story and I hate finishing her books. I recommend anyone to give her books a go. You won't regret a minute of the time spent reading them. I'm looking forward to the next offering. More, please, Jodi!!!
Profile Image for Kerrie.
24 reviews
December 4, 2020
Jodi Taylor delivers with another visit to Frogmorton Farm to see how Russell and Jenny are getting on, this book is quite a time skip since The Something Girl with Jenny & Russell's daughter Joy is almost 14 years old in this story. Joy is the focus of the story and Jodi has written a teenage girl's point of view very well.

The audiobook is top quality as usual
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews

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