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Saddle Club #11
Horse Wise
When Max announces that Pine Hollow will begin its own Pony Club, Stevie, Carole, and Lisa are excited to know they’re about to become even more knowledgeable about horses. But spoiled Veronica is more focused on riding her new horse than learning how to take care of him. The Saddle Club won’t soon forget what happened with Veronica’s last horse, Cobalt. And when it looks like she’s headed for the same trouble again, the girls are quick to act—but are they already too late?
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
8 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Bonnie Bryant
384 books200 followersAmerican author of children's books. She is best known for creating the intermediate horse book series The Saddle Club, which was published from October 1988 until April 2001. The Saddle Club chronicled the adventures of thirteen-year-old Lisa Atwood and twelve-year-olds Stephanie "Stevie" Lake and Carole Hanson. The series was static in time; the girls never aged in 101 books, 7 special editions, and 3 Inside Stories.
Bonnie Bryant also wrote two spin-off series: Pony Tails, aimed at beginning readers, and Pine Hollow, aimed at teenage readers. The 16 Pony Tails books followed the lives of eight-year-olds May Grover, Corey Takamura, and Jasmine James. Pine Hollow featured Carole, Lisa, Stevie, and their new friends in a series set four years after The Saddle Club. Unlike The Saddle Club, Pine Hollow conformed to a realistic timeline. The 17 books took place over the span of less than a year. Later a television show called The Saddle Club, based on the books, was filmed in Australia.
Bonnie Bryant wrote at least 38 The Saddle Club books and 2 Pine Hollow books herself; after that they were taken over by a team of ghostwriters, a common practice in long-running children's book series. Ghostwriters for the Saddle Club and Pine Hollow books included Caitlin Macy (sometimes credited as Caitlin C. Macy), Catherine Hapka, Sallie Bissell, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Helen Geraghty, Tina deVaron, Cat Johnston, Minna Jung, and Sheila Prescott-Vessey.
Bonnie Bryant is also the author of many novelizations of movies, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Karate Kid, and Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, written under her married name, B.B. Hiller. She also collaborated in the ghostwriting of The Baby-sitters Club Super Special #14: BSC in the USA, published under the name of its creator, Ann M. Martin.
Bonnie Bryant was born and raised in New York City. She met her husband, Neil W. Hiller, in college, where they both worked on the campus newspaper. They had two sons, Emmons Hiller and Andrew Hiller. Neil Hiller died in 1989. Many of Bonnie's books are dedicated to him.
***from wikipedia.org
Bonnie Bryant also wrote two spin-off series: Pony Tails, aimed at beginning readers, and Pine Hollow, aimed at teenage readers. The 16 Pony Tails books followed the lives of eight-year-olds May Grover, Corey Takamura, and Jasmine James. Pine Hollow featured Carole, Lisa, Stevie, and their new friends in a series set four years after The Saddle Club. Unlike The Saddle Club, Pine Hollow conformed to a realistic timeline. The 17 books took place over the span of less than a year. Later a television show called The Saddle Club, based on the books, was filmed in Australia.
Bonnie Bryant wrote at least 38 The Saddle Club books and 2 Pine Hollow books herself; after that they were taken over by a team of ghostwriters, a common practice in long-running children's book series. Ghostwriters for the Saddle Club and Pine Hollow books included Caitlin Macy (sometimes credited as Caitlin C. Macy), Catherine Hapka, Sallie Bissell, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Helen Geraghty, Tina deVaron, Cat Johnston, Minna Jung, and Sheila Prescott-Vessey.
Bonnie Bryant is also the author of many novelizations of movies, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Karate Kid, and Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, written under her married name, B.B. Hiller. She also collaborated in the ghostwriting of The Baby-sitters Club Super Special #14: BSC in the USA, published under the name of its creator, Ann M. Martin.
Bonnie Bryant was born and raised in New York City. She met her husband, Neil W. Hiller, in college, where they both worked on the campus newspaper. They had two sons, Emmons Hiller and Andrew Hiller. Neil Hiller died in 1989. Many of Bonnie's books are dedicated to him.
***from wikipedia.org
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 23, 2021
This one started off very slowly as Bryant took her time setting up Horse Wise, explaining what Pony Clubs are, and seeing Veronica get her second horse and Lisa's parents become inspired to buy Lisa a horse. The second half is much more interesting, and Colonel Hanson has a great role that provides some comic relief. As the cover picture portrays, the girls are sent on a rescue mission to recover Samson, a 4-month-old foal, after he escapes into the woods behind a careless Veronica who doesn't lock gates behind her. The rescue itself is a wonderful bit of storytelling during which Carole really shines. Overall this is a good one, but drags a little too much for my taste.
Just a side note - I wish that Goodreads had my book cover here (pink and green for those who have the same).
Just a side note - I wish that Goodreads had my book cover here (pink and green for those who have the same).
April 2, 2019
Another fun one. I remember really enjoying Lisa’s search for a horse when I was a kid. (And we got our first peek at Starlight!) The main story was sweet - I love Colonel Hanson and the pony club info was interesting.
But again, why are these children being constantly called on in emergencies? Who trusts twelve year olds to mount a rescue mission for a missing foal? It’s a major part of these books that always makes me laugh a bit.
But again, why are these children being constantly called on in emergencies? Who trusts twelve year olds to mount a rescue mission for a missing foal? It’s a major part of these books that always makes me laugh a bit.
December 26, 2017
In the eleventh adventure in the Saddle Club series, Horse Wise, the members of Pine Hollow are getting a Pony Club. Now it seems that the girls will learn even more on a regular basis. Made up of riding lessons, practical health care sessions and theory, Carole, Lisa and Steve are rapt about Max’s decision to start a Pony Club.
Read more at http://equus-blog.com/horse-wise-sadd...
Read more at http://equus-blog.com/horse-wise-sadd...
December 1, 2024
This was one of the best of the first dozen Saddle Club books, despite a couple of continuity errors (Barq changes from a chestnut to a bay, for example, and Lisa is suddenly taking piano lessons again.) This is one of the most horse-centric of the early Saddle Club books. It's told from Lisa and Carole's point of views. Stevie remains a mystery here.
This is a really bad book to start the series with. This book assumes that you have read most, if not all, of the previous 10 books. It makes references to most of the previous books.
For the most part, the horse information given here is sound (pun intended), but there is one glaring error right at the book's beginning. Carole is worried about the rumblings in Barq's belly, thinking he may be starting to colic. It's when a horse's belly goes completely silent is the sign of colic. It's normal for horses to have quite a symphony of digestive noises.
Pine Hollow gets its own Pony Club chapter. Whip dee dee. Although the kids in the book love it, I was pretty mystified. I never joined Pony Club, partly because of the expense, but mostly because it was deadly dull if you did not have your own equine. In those glorious years when I had riding lessons, I eavesdropped on a couple of classes at the stable where I rode. You just stood around and got a lecture.
There are two main things that happen here that are significant to the series:
1) Veronica gets her Arabian mare Garnet.
2) Lisa is offered a chance to get a horse called Pretty Boy, but has to turn him down.
A good book series has a clearly defined baddie. It makes for good storytelling. Veronica is that baddie. She's become the same bitch she was in book one -- only she has become a better rider. She's a good villan, and clearly shows what not to do with horses.
Another Goodreads reviewer wonders where the adults are in this series. In the real world, the adults maybe would be more front and center. I'm going to stress maybe, because in my own life, adults have been the problem more times than they've been the solution. And this is a kid's series. Kids like to read about KIDS solving the problems. Heck, I was in my 20s when I read my first Saddle Club book, and I wanted to see the girls figure things out for themselves.
I don't know if Bonnie Bryant wrote this one. She gives "special thanks" to Margaret Smith. In other book series, the person getting special thanks is usually a ghostwriter.
I've noticed that in later editions of this book, covers show Carole as white or with some Latino features. In the first book, she is clearly described as African American. Come to think of it, I don't think she's described at all, except for having dark hair, in the last nine books.
This is a really bad book to start the series with. This book assumes that you have read most, if not all, of the previous 10 books. It makes references to most of the previous books.
For the most part, the horse information given here is sound (pun intended), but there is one glaring error right at the book's beginning. Carole is worried about the rumblings in Barq's belly, thinking he may be starting to colic. It's when a horse's belly goes completely silent is the sign of colic. It's normal for horses to have quite a symphony of digestive noises.
Pine Hollow gets its own Pony Club chapter. Whip dee dee. Although the kids in the book love it, I was pretty mystified. I never joined Pony Club, partly because of the expense, but mostly because it was deadly dull if you did not have your own equine. In those glorious years when I had riding lessons, I eavesdropped on a couple of classes at the stable where I rode. You just stood around and got a lecture.
There are two main things that happen here that are significant to the series:
1) Veronica gets her Arabian mare Garnet.
2) Lisa is offered a chance to get a horse called Pretty Boy, but has to turn him down.
A good book series has a clearly defined baddie. It makes for good storytelling. Veronica is that baddie. She's become the same bitch she was in book one -- only she has become a better rider. She's a good villan, and clearly shows what not to do with horses.
Another Goodreads reviewer wonders where the adults are in this series. In the real world, the adults maybe would be more front and center. I'm going to stress maybe, because in my own life, adults have been the problem more times than they've been the solution. And this is a kid's series. Kids like to read about KIDS solving the problems. Heck, I was in my 20s when I read my first Saddle Club book, and I wanted to see the girls figure things out for themselves.
I don't know if Bonnie Bryant wrote this one. She gives "special thanks" to Margaret Smith. In other book series, the person getting special thanks is usually a ghostwriter.
I've noticed that in later editions of this book, covers show Carole as white or with some Latino features. In the first book, she is clearly described as African American. Come to think of it, I don't think she's described at all, except for having dark hair, in the last nine books.
September 25, 2017
Veronica DiAngelo gets a new horse, Garnet, and spends most of her time showing her off and not taking care of her. Because of her new horse, Lisa's parents decide to buy her a horse. Max introduces something new in Pine Hollow - a pony club. Carole, Lisa and Stevie spend their first days in the Pony Club, Horse Wise, trying to clean up messes Veronica makes.
The main plot is, of course, the Pony Club. It's a crazy cool addition to the series that I really liked, even though it seems absurd to me that these kids had enough time for all of this.
Lisa's side story was quite sad. She apologizes for not telling her friends about her almost getting a horse, and they get annoyed at her for not telling them, even though the way they were talking about Veronica and her new horse should have scared anyone off from telling either of them. It's both a shame and perhaps mature that Lisa decides to wait on getting a horse in the end.
The entire storyline with Veronica was... annoying. I feel like she's been such an aggravating character at the stables and blatantly breaking rules (like not taking care of your horse or helping out with chores) that there is no way Max would not have kicked her out of the stable. Especially after she rides off on Garnet and leaves all the gates open, leaving Samson open to run around and get hurt.
Less drama than the past books, which I liked. In general a really fun novel in the Saddle Club series that I thoroughly enjoyed. I rather wish we could see the girls with their own horses, since I feel seeing that bond would be wonderful, but I guess I'll have to be patient and wait for that time to come.
The main plot is, of course, the Pony Club. It's a crazy cool addition to the series that I really liked, even though it seems absurd to me that these kids had enough time for all of this.
Lisa's side story was quite sad. She apologizes for not telling her friends about her almost getting a horse, and they get annoyed at her for not telling them, even though the way they were talking about Veronica and her new horse should have scared anyone off from telling either of them. It's both a shame and perhaps mature that Lisa decides to wait on getting a horse in the end.
The entire storyline with Veronica was... annoying. I feel like she's been such an aggravating character at the stables and blatantly breaking rules (like not taking care of your horse or helping out with chores) that there is no way Max would not have kicked her out of the stable. Especially after she rides off on Garnet and leaves all the gates open, leaving Samson open to run around and get hurt.
Less drama than the past books, which I liked. In general a really fun novel in the Saddle Club series that I thoroughly enjoyed. I rather wish we could see the girls with their own horses, since I feel seeing that bond would be wonderful, but I guess I'll have to be patient and wait for that time to come.
March 22, 2022
Every series has at least one character that a reader is meant to despise, and Veronica is certainly one of those characters. She is a brat, spoiled, and horrible. She is entitled, and feels as though she has to put in no effort in anything, and that others should do her work for her. I can't stand her.
Pine Hollow is starting up a pony club in this book, and the girls are super excited to be a part of that. I wish that there was an English riding stable where I lived as a child. I would have loved to do all the pony club games and be a part of a stable environment. Unfortunately, the only thing around here is barrel racing nonsense and gaited horses. Supremely disappointing.
Pine Hollow is starting up a pony club in this book, and the girls are super excited to be a part of that. I wish that there was an English riding stable where I lived as a child. I would have loved to do all the pony club games and be a part of a stable environment. Unfortunately, the only thing around here is barrel racing nonsense and gaited horses. Supremely disappointing.
September 14, 2018
pine hallow get's the chance to be part of the pony club association. Veronica is careless and almost causes a major disaster. i don't she'll ever learn. Spoiled brats like veronica never learn until it's too late for them. Several girls i went to school with acted like veronica. And now they are sad and alone with no one but their ghosts of the past. Sadly's i think veronica will end up the same way.
June 6, 2019
Tahle serie si drzi svou latku - neurazi, pobavi, dobre se cte, ale hlubsiho od ni necekejte. Pamatuju si, ze kdyz jsem byla mala, uplne jsem ji milovala a hltala, takze s klidnym srdcem doporucuji (preci jen jsem cilou skupinu vekem dost minula).
June 24, 2017
Another appropriate book for young readers! I recommend this one for everyone ages 9+.
July 30, 2018
Read the Norwegian version.
February 1, 2017
there are great aspects of teaching, learning, and tolerance in this book. I hate how veronica is portrayed. I like that safety always comes first. basically the stable starts up a horse club that is kind of like girl scouts for horse people, minus the cookies. there are skills and badges involved. not so fun is Samson's injury.
August 4, 2011
A good series for horse crazy young teens. I loved it when I was younger.
August 6, 2011
I loved this series as a kid! Of course I was a horse crazy little girl. Go figure
June 29, 2015
Avant je mettais trois heures à lire ces livres, maintenant je mets une demie heure.. C'est marrant de revivre ces histoires avec lesquelles j'ai grandi.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews