What do you think?
Rate this book
Animal Ark [GB Order] #37
Horse in the House
With sales of more than 3 million books, this newest Animal Ark title will provide cozy reading for young animal lovers.
Mandy and James are sad that their friend Wilfred Bennett has to sell his riding stables. Things get even worse when Sam Western turns the land into a campsite and wants everyone to forget that the stables ever existed. Now campers are telling stories of a ghostly horse and rider passing through the campsite - and vanishing into the night air! Mandy and James don't believe the spooky tales, but can they figure out what's really going on?
Mandy and James are sad that their friend Wilfred Bennett has to sell his riding stables. Things get even worse when Sam Western turns the land into a campsite and wants everyone to forget that the stables ever existed. Now campers are telling stories of a ghostly horse and rider passing through the campsite - and vanishing into the night air! Mandy and James don't believe the spooky tales, but can they figure out what's really going on?
176 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1998
9 people are currently reading
455 people want to read
About the author
Ben M. Baglio
217 books147 followersBen M. Baglio created the brief for two series of children's books - Dolphin Diaries and Animal Ark. Dolphin Diaries features a girl and her family from Florida, who travel around the world as marine biologists and study dolphins. Animal Ark features two children who work together to help animals and solve animal-related mysteries. The books were written by commissioned writers in the UK under Baglio's instruction using the pseudonym Lucy Daniels. Each ghostwriter is named with a 'Special Thanks' on the copyright page.
Using his real name he also wrote the book series The Pet Finders Club, featuring a group of three children who search for peoples lost pets.
Using his real name he also wrote the book series The Pet Finders Club, featuring a group of three children who search for peoples lost pets.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 21, 2021
This was a fun book to read and even though it's meant for children I did actually learn something new about horses from it. And yes that surprised me. I am always looking for new bits of information about them.
This story was not as exciting as the previous Animal Ark that I had read - Ponies at the Point - but it was a good story. Mandy and her friend James set out to investigate rumors of a ghostly horse and rider seen at a campsite. And at the same time another friend of theirs was forced to sell his horses. They will miss the horses dearly, but what has happened to their favorite one?
As an adult, it was very obvious what was going on in here once I got partway into the story. Suddenly it just clicked in my head and I thought "Oh, so that's what the title means!" As crazy as it sounds I don't know why I didn't guess sooner!
There are a few tense scenes in here too! A few little scares. And the vet's services are needed.
And it is amazing how Mandy solves some huge problems on her own! She is a really fast thinker. And she has good instincts too.
I will definitely read more equine related books in this series.
This story was not as exciting as the previous Animal Ark that I had read - Ponies at the Point - but it was a good story. Mandy and her friend James set out to investigate rumors of a ghostly horse and rider seen at a campsite. And at the same time another friend of theirs was forced to sell his horses. They will miss the horses dearly, but what has happened to their favorite one?
As an adult, it was very obvious what was going on in here once I got partway into the story. Suddenly it just clicked in my head and I thought "Oh, so that's what the title means!" As crazy as it sounds I don't know why I didn't guess sooner!
There are a few tense scenes in here too! A few little scares. And the vet's services are needed.
And it is amazing how Mandy solves some huge problems on her own! She is a really fast thinker. And she has good instincts too.
I will definitely read more equine related books in this series.
December 30, 2009
This book is a very touching book because, after Wilfred's wife dies,Rose,he has to sell all of his beloved horses.One the day of the horse sell,Mandy wonders what will happen to Rose's favorite horse,Matty.
February 5, 2015
luv it! Awsome!great!
November 11, 2024
This is more of a 3.5 star book, but it's far more memorable than most of the Animal Ark books, so I gave it a 4. It's stranger than many of the other books. The big surprise is anything but, considering the book's title, but how everything's resolved is the unexpected bit.
I'm reviewing the UK Hodder edition, which is officially the 37th book (not counting the Xmas specials, Summer Specials and the short story collection.) It would be the 26th book published by Scholastic in America. Despite the author name on the cover, the real author was Susan Bently, who wrote many books in the Animal Ark Universe.
Sam Western shows why he's the richest farmer in Welford, since he doesn't just have a farm. He's savvy enough to buy businesses that have gone bankrupt, such as a local riding stables. The stables went under after the wife (and co-worker) of the riding instructor dies of cancer. Bently writes that both Mandy and James had a long relationship with the couple, but, although they are mentioned in the last book, Rabbits on the Run, I'm not sure they appeared anywhere else. They may have shown up in an Animal Ark Pets books. There's just too many characters for me to keep track of.
Illustrator Jenny Gregory did not draw horses well. They look more like loaves of bread in vaugue equine shapes than horses. She usually doesn't do well with dogs, but does much better here, particularly with a Jack Russell and Blackie. She makes no attempt to portray Sam Western's "bulldogs."
The bulldogs themselves are a total mystery. They're always described as vicious, but English bulldogs are just about as vicious as mashed potatoes. They appeared first in 1994 or 1995. When I lived in England, bulldogs was slang for any dog that showed English bulldog in there somewhere, including pit bulls. I wonder if these dogs were originally supposed to be pit bulls (who are not born vicious, but can be trained to attack.) Pit bulls was also slang for bull terriers, which are still legal in the UK. Unfortunately, pit bulls were banned about the time the first Animal Ark books were being published. There are several dog breeds or types banned, resulting in death for the dogs. This us done based solely on their looks, and not their actions. If Western's bulldogs were originally supposed to be pit bulls (gotta have those stereotypes), Hodder's legal department must've caught it, forcing the change to English bulldogs.
So, yeah ... all these things going through my mind while reading this. Your milage may vary.
I'm reviewing the UK Hodder edition, which is officially the 37th book (not counting the Xmas specials, Summer Specials and the short story collection.) It would be the 26th book published by Scholastic in America. Despite the author name on the cover, the real author was Susan Bently, who wrote many books in the Animal Ark Universe.
Sam Western shows why he's the richest farmer in Welford, since he doesn't just have a farm. He's savvy enough to buy businesses that have gone bankrupt, such as a local riding stables. The stables went under after the wife (and co-worker) of the riding instructor dies of cancer. Bently writes that both Mandy and James had a long relationship with the couple, but, although they are mentioned in the last book, Rabbits on the Run, I'm not sure they appeared anywhere else. They may have shown up in an Animal Ark Pets books. There's just too many characters for me to keep track of.
Illustrator Jenny Gregory did not draw horses well. They look more like loaves of bread in vaugue equine shapes than horses. She usually doesn't do well with dogs, but does much better here, particularly with a Jack Russell and Blackie. She makes no attempt to portray Sam Western's "bulldogs."
The bulldogs themselves are a total mystery. They're always described as vicious, but English bulldogs are just about as vicious as mashed potatoes. They appeared first in 1994 or 1995. When I lived in England, bulldogs was slang for any dog that showed English bulldog in there somewhere, including pit bulls. I wonder if these dogs were originally supposed to be pit bulls (who are not born vicious, but can be trained to attack.) Pit bulls was also slang for bull terriers, which are still legal in the UK. Unfortunately, pit bulls were banned about the time the first Animal Ark books were being published. There are several dog breeds or types banned, resulting in death for the dogs. This us done based solely on their looks, and not their actions. If Western's bulldogs were originally supposed to be pit bulls (gotta have those stereotypes), Hodder's legal department must've caught it, forcing the change to English bulldogs.
So, yeah ... all these things going through my mind while reading this. Your milage may vary.
November 10, 2024
I honestly didn’t like this animal ark book as much as I liked the other ones I have read.
I found the last half of the book to be unrealistic. I understand that children’s books are expected to have perfectly happy endings, but as someone who has been around horses for 11 years now, none of it really made sense to me.
A seasoned horseman like Wilfred would not have kept a full sized horse in his house, no matter the circumstances. And there’s no way that nobody close to him or at the campsite caught on.
The character arc of Western wasn’t that good either. It was like we spent all of the book painting him as an emotionless bad guy until the last 10 pages of the book, where he immediately flipped a switch and started providing favors for people. “Free” riding lessons is NOT a good business decision. We went over that in the first chapter of the book. So I don’t really understand why this was the solution they came to, besides just wanting Wilfred and Matty to have a perfect ending.
I typically like Animal Ark books, but this one felt lazily written to me.
I found the last half of the book to be unrealistic. I understand that children’s books are expected to have perfectly happy endings, but as someone who has been around horses for 11 years now, none of it really made sense to me.
A seasoned horseman like Wilfred would not have kept a full sized horse in his house, no matter the circumstances. And there’s no way that nobody close to him or at the campsite caught on.
The character arc of Western wasn’t that good either. It was like we spent all of the book painting him as an emotionless bad guy until the last 10 pages of the book, where he immediately flipped a switch and started providing favors for people. “Free” riding lessons is NOT a good business decision. We went over that in the first chapter of the book. So I don’t really understand why this was the solution they came to, besides just wanting Wilfred and Matty to have a perfect ending.
I typically like Animal Ark books, but this one felt lazily written to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2018
My favorite part was when Wilfred got to keep Matty because he kept her in the house. The way he got her to exercise was by taking her on moonlit walks. - 6 year old
September 10, 2021
It was amazing, and a lot related to me because I want to be a vet when I grow up and I love horses.
October 10, 2022
8yr old rating.
December 15, 2016
I read this book when I was little; it's really easy
January 9, 2011
Cute story. Another great story that centered around horses. This one had a lot mor sub plots than others in the Animal Ark series, but it made for a really good read. If your an animal lover of any sort best read any in the Animal Ark series.
January 25, 2008
Any book that has got a horse in it has my vote!
March 22, 2008
I have read 40 or so Animal Ark books. They are soooo great.
October 29, 2009
This was a good book to read with your kids. Definately an animal lovers book. My 4th grader and I liked it.
November 20, 2009
funny book
February 12, 2010
i got a little bored at the begining and then when i got into it i enjoyed it
November 9, 2012
Another great installment to Animal Ark.
November 3, 2013
There's a horse in the hoooouse! Honestly, don't remember reading this. But the whole animal ark series is predictable, just think.
Read
August 7, 2011I was completely obsessed with this series of books when I was a child and my aim was to read every single book. They are a really good children's series.
October 5, 2011
This book was so cool!I love the way the author describs the peoples terror of the ghostly horse but hes really Wilfred and Matty. W ell thats all Im going to say now go read it for yourself! worood
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2021
(LL)
This was an awesome story. It is my favorite story (of the books in the series I own) so far! While the ending was predictable, it was a lot of fun to read.
This was an awesome story. It is my favorite story (of the books in the series I own) so far! While the ending was predictable, it was a lot of fun to read.
June 18, 2013
I think I read it... not really sure
March 31, 2015
Loved it!!
January 3, 2016
my favourite part was when matty got a good home where she could be taken care of properly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews