Ashleigh's Diary

Thoroughbred: Super Editions #2

by Joanna Campbell

In the attic of her parents' home, champion rider Ashleigh Griffen discovers an old diary she had kept as a girl at Edgardale, her family's first breeding farm. Ashleigh is transported back in memory to the year she turned eleven - reliving her love for Stardust, a beautiful chestnut mare, and for Black Night, the spirited colt whose birth she witnessed.

Ashleigh remembers her terrible sadness when Black Night was stolen by horse thieves, and how hard she worked to find him. Painfully she recalls the devastation she felt during her struggle to save the horses she loved from a deadly virus that swept through the Edgardale stables. And Ashleigh relives all the happiness and tragedy of knowing Stardust - her very first horse, who was taken from her much too soon...

Genres: Horses, Childrens, Young Adult, Animals, Middle Grade, Contemporary, Fiction

241 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

See Jo Ann Simon

Reviews

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sheesh, why did I read this one so much as a kid? It’s so sad! Literally the happy moments are so brief I nearly missed them on this reread (though it probably wasn’t the smartest idea to read it when I was already feeling low, but whatever) though at least you know things get happier for poor Ashleigh in the later books of the series.

While more sad then I remember (because I cried when each horse died, believe me) it was still fun to reread an old favorite though now I’m seriously questioning my younger self and wondering if this was the start of me torturing my own poor characters in the future…


‼️Content‼️

Language: screwed up; heck; God (1)

Other: a virus infects and kills horses; horse deaths and grief; horses are stolen

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to read this series an awful lot! Unfortunately I never got to read them all as my libraries didn't have each book in the series.

It was really sad, but also really sweet. The bond between Ashleigh and the different horses...and the different horses' personalities...as well as the sad part with the epidemic.

It's a clean book great for all ages!

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

You really need to read the previous books in the series (at least the first one) or you're going to be really bummed out after reading this, one of the Throughbred Super Editions. A Super Edition just means it's a little longer book than the usual 185 page Thoroughbred book. This book is the basis for the Ashleigh series -- although I think the Ashleigh series is set in an alternative world from the Thoroughbred series -- I'm not sure.

This book would counter a lot of the Ashleigh series, even though the first three and a half books in that series were written by Campbell/Simon. Continuity was never a strong point in the Thoroughbred series, so why should it be in the Ashleigh series?

Moral of the story: Life sucks but it goes on and is better than the alternative. The book also has a mini-sermon about how things always work out for the best, but I don't agree with that. I haven't seen proof of that in my own life -- or the lives and deaths of many racehorses I've researched or been somewhat acquainted with.

The book's dedication page states, "Special thanks to Karen Bently." Karen Bently was one if the ghostwriters who took over the series when Joanna Campbell (real name Jo Ann Simon) left due to burnout. This makes me think that Bently wrote at least part of this. In a 2014 online interview, Campbell/Simon would state that the only ghostwriter she liked was Karen Bently.

[pj]

i stole this book from my like 2nd or 3rd grade class library because i was certain that no one would love it like i did. i still believe that to be true; i read this book probably a million times and nothing compares

[Aleka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was obsessed with the Thoroughbred books as a pre-teen, and this one made me cry every time! It was devastating but addictive as a consequence.

[Leah Wallin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series!

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book. And seeing how I love horses I had to put a least one book about them on here. To all horse fans this book will make you cry! I really enjoy it because I think it is not a dumb "the girl gets the horse of her dreams" book. It is a book of a girl who struggles just as much as anyone in this world, and gets all her childish dreams stripped away and gets them replaced with womanly dreams...

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was depressing around the ending, but it was pretty awesome! First she's not very good in her math but she works hard to get her horse! I almost cried because the ending is so sad! But it was also very exciting and sweet! How she treats her brother, how she helps her parents with the breeding farm and horses!

[Isabel Kabara · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! What a good book! It got sad when all the horses died and Ashleigh's family had to sell their farm, but I have a feeling that things will only get better. I was correct from what I first said about this book being good background knowledge into the first book (I read the back of the first book).

[Ilana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great series for tweens that love horses and/or are interested in horseback riding or racing. Teaches about the struggles of working with animals and the benefits.

Great background for a lovable character.

[Ashley Reif · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is wonderful to be taken back to the first breeding farm Ashleigh lived on.
There are the Ashleigh thoroughbred series, that are about here before she moved, but its not the same. Here it is Joanna Campbell's words that really take me back, and I love every moment of the book!

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tore at my heart strings more than any of the others.

[Henrietta Hortobágyi]

nothing

[June Willett · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could rate this book more I would. This book is my all time favorite. It had everything you could want in a book, Sadness, Happiness, Suspense, Surprise, etc. This book literally still makes me cry all months later. This book is actually so good I can’t even breathe. I am low key a slow reader and a 250 page book would usually take me a month if I don’t like it, But this book took me like 6 days which is fast for me. At some parts it was really really hard for me to read because it got so sad. Which is kind of why I loved this book. I could go on all day about this book if I wanted to, (Which I do). But I will spare you of that. So basically there should be a law that you have to read this book. GO READ IT NOW BEFORE THE
COPS/me GET YOU!

[Leeanne G · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so interesting to read about the Edgardale tragedy. It was really hard to read about all the horses falling ill and so many dying. But now I feel like I understand Ashleigh so much better. And also why it was so important to her to save Wonder because she had "failed" Black Night.

[Emma Moyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was really sad but so good

[Keeley McJunkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow that book was really good. Now for the other 93 in the series.😅😅

[JoReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood favourite series (haven't read in a long time) giving all four stars unless it was a favourite as a child.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Super Special seems to foreshadow the Ashleigh spinoff series, going back to when Ashleigh was 12, before she and her family moved to Townsend Acres.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

i probably wouldn't reccomend this book to a person that was really emotional. emma