Midnight Dancer

Midnight Dancer #1

by Elizabeth Lindsay

Genres: Childrens

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to start this by saying this is one of the series of my books from my childhood that is NEVER getting thrown away. That said, it wasn't until I saw them in a pile of things my Mum found in the depths of my old room that I remembered them - and that is a shame because just seeing them brought back the hours and hours in which I would sit and read these books. I recall once, we went to a relatives house and I took one of these to read. I finished it, so started reading it again, and then again. I must have read that book at least three times in that one sitting, and I know I read the series as a whole no less than 10 times. It was thanks to this series that I wanted a horse, was so happy to go pony trekking in Wales and was quite sad when I realised I'd never have a black pony I could call Midnight Dancer...

The rating this is getting (and the rest of the books will get a well when I re-read them tomorrow) is based purely off the joy I recall as a child reading these. As a critical 27 year old, the books have faults (mainly that the plot barrels forward covering days off in a matter of pages, the description levels are mixed and the villains are one dimensional), but as a child, living on the Welsh border I didn't (and still don't) need a description of Wales - I've visited it enough to know what it looks like! I didn't need realistic time settings (lets be fair, how many children perceive time accurately in the way we do now as adults?), and I didn't need multi-dimensional villains. Caroline was the perfect archetype of the posh spoilt brat on the playground, and we all knew at least one of those from our childhood days.

Maybe one day I'll re-read these again and be able to write a more analytical review (granted I rarely do that anyway... lets say a less gushing review then!) but I don't see that happening any time soon. I just adored these books too much not to rate them as high as I possibly can!

[Dark-Draco · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one horsey children's book that I never read when I was young, but I've quite enjoyed revisiting that world where ponies never really get dirty and you don't have to muck out fields in the pouring rain!

It's the story of Mory, her pony Dancer, and all their friends, who are having trouble with their nemesis, Caroline. Only she's got her biker cousins to visit, who seem intent on causing as much trouble as possible. The story goes from the riding school to the cross country course, from hacking through the woods to rescuing people trapped behind waterfalls - all ending up at the annual show.

[Hannah Meiklejohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was randomly thinking about my childhood horse, Shadow, and it reminded me of all the horsey books I read when I was a child. I can’t remember the names of them all but there were a lot. I think for an entire year all I read were horse books and the only one that stands out to me is Midnight Dancer. This is the book that set the standard for all of horse novels. This is a must read for anybody into horses.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really nostalgic return to one of my favourite pony books from childhood.

[Rea]

One of my favourite series as a child. I read the series several times over.
Recommended for horse-mad girls!

[Laura McDonald]

More nostalgia, can't beat it! <3