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Saddle Club #26
Beach Ride
In Florida for her winter break, Carole enjoys days at a theme park with her cousin Sheila, a big family reunion, and a chance to ride horses along Florida's beautiful beaches. Original.
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
7 people are currently reading
164 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 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 31, 2019
This one always makes me cry a bit (actually quite a bit). I won't go into the plot too much, but this book features an incredibly touching storyline revolving around Carole, her cousin Sheila and Sheila's pony Maverick -(Carole and her father are visiting family in Florida). The constant rereading has never diminished this for me, so once again this evening I sat silently crying over the bravery of a fictional pony! Whether true or fiction, I can't resist stories of animals doing amazing things, risking their lives for people they love, going to extremes that some people won't bother to even attempt.
Back in Willow Creek, Stevie and Lisa learn a valuable about minding their own business and respecting the choices of others.
The cover image is quite blurry on Goodreads, but it's really pretty, especially the two horses in the background. You can't see it that clearly here, but I really like Sheila's bathing suit, and wouldn't mind one like that myself!
🌊🐴🌊
Back in Willow Creek, Stevie and Lisa learn a valuable about minding their own business and respecting the choices of others.
The cover image is quite blurry on Goodreads, but it's really pretty, especially the two horses in the background. You can't see it that clearly here, but I really like Sheila's bathing suit, and wouldn't mind one like that myself!
🌊🐴🌊
January 30, 2020
I read it in German, and, funny side note, the character's names are completely different! The three main characters are called Laura, Julia and Jenny in German and I wonder why they changed it...
Anyway, I loved the series when I was younger and it was nice reading a book of it again. I read this in one sitting and quite enjoyed the story. It deals with many themes, such as family, friendship, making choices, courage and of course horses! I even cried a little in the end :') 4 stars for this quick, enjoyable and touching read!
Anyway, I loved the series when I was younger and it was nice reading a book of it again. I read this in one sitting and quite enjoyed the story. It deals with many themes, such as family, friendship, making choices, courage and of course horses! I even cried a little in the end :') 4 stars for this quick, enjoyable and touching read!
August 4, 2011
A good series for horse crazy young teens. I loved it when I was younger.
January 21, 2025
This is more of a 1.5 than 2 stars, so I rounded up. Although there were plenty of horses and ponies in this book, it was more about people than about horses. Which sucks. Who reads horse books because of the people?
Like most Saddle Club books, this has an A and a B plot.
Plot A: Carole and her Dad go to Florida for a family reunion. There is a long, painfully dull section where the family GOES TO DISNEY WORLD. Really? Like Disney REALLY needed to do product placement in kid's books in 1993? So, it looks like the whole point of this book was to pimp Disney World. Unbe-fucking-lieveable. There is also more to this plot, which I'll discuss later.
Plot B: A girl, Alice, is visiting Willow Creek because her parents are fighting. She's clearly a really decent rider, but refuses to jump. And refuses to say why. Lisa and Stevie set to change Alice's mind about jumping.
Now, I'm going to spoil this plot, so either leave now or be warned.
The girls do manage to trick Alice into a jump on a trail ride -- and she is furious. She says she'll quit riding. Of course, Lisa and Stevie realize the error of their ways and apologize, and Alice goes back to riding.
And Alice NEVER EXPLAINS WHY SHE REFUSES TO JUMP.
This is a big no-no in book writing. If you present the reader with a mystery IT HAS TO BE SOLVED. The only explanation given is "it's none of your business."
No, Goodreaders, the REAL explanation is that Bryant (or whoever wrote this) couldn't think up a good enough explanation.
Go ask Alice? Apparently not.
Now, with the crappy B plot and the blatant advertisement for Disney World, why did I give this book as high a rating as I did? Because of the fight Carole's cousin has with her parents to keep her beloved pony Maverick.
The tragic truth about horse and pony ownership is that most owners DO NOT CARE about their animals. They just want to compete, or make money from foals -- but it's all about money and winning. As soon as the pony is outgrown, the horse becomes lame or the broodmare becomes infertile, they're sold without a second thought.
When you take on the responsibility of a pet or horse, YOU HAVE TO CARE FOR THAT ANIMAL FOR ITS WHOLE LIFE. If you have the resources to do that and yet don't, you deserve Stage 4 anal cancer. Anyway, the message that even old, small ponies need love, too was the only reason this got a 1.5.
The only other major happening in this book is that Lisa's dog Dolly finally appears. Turns out, she's a Lhasa Apso. She only warranted about two sentences.
Like most Saddle Club books, this has an A and a B plot.
Plot A: Carole and her Dad go to Florida for a family reunion. There is a long, painfully dull section where the family GOES TO DISNEY WORLD. Really? Like Disney REALLY needed to do product placement in kid's books in 1993? So, it looks like the whole point of this book was to pimp Disney World. Unbe-fucking-lieveable. There is also more to this plot, which I'll discuss later.
Plot B: A girl, Alice, is visiting Willow Creek because her parents are fighting. She's clearly a really decent rider, but refuses to jump. And refuses to say why. Lisa and Stevie set to change Alice's mind about jumping.
Now, I'm going to spoil this plot, so either leave now or be warned.
The girls do manage to trick Alice into a jump on a trail ride -- and she is furious. She says she'll quit riding. Of course, Lisa and Stevie realize the error of their ways and apologize, and Alice goes back to riding.
And Alice NEVER EXPLAINS WHY SHE REFUSES TO JUMP.
This is a big no-no in book writing. If you present the reader with a mystery IT HAS TO BE SOLVED. The only explanation given is "it's none of your business."
No, Goodreaders, the REAL explanation is that Bryant (or whoever wrote this) couldn't think up a good enough explanation.
Go ask Alice? Apparently not.
Now, with the crappy B plot and the blatant advertisement for Disney World, why did I give this book as high a rating as I did? Because of the fight Carole's cousin has with her parents to keep her beloved pony Maverick.
The tragic truth about horse and pony ownership is that most owners DO NOT CARE about their animals. They just want to compete, or make money from foals -- but it's all about money and winning. As soon as the pony is outgrown, the horse becomes lame or the broodmare becomes infertile, they're sold without a second thought.
When you take on the responsibility of a pet or horse, YOU HAVE TO CARE FOR THAT ANIMAL FOR ITS WHOLE LIFE. If you have the resources to do that and yet don't, you deserve Stage 4 anal cancer. Anyway, the message that even old, small ponies need love, too was the only reason this got a 1.5.
The only other major happening in this book is that Lisa's dog Dolly finally appears. Turns out, she's a Lhasa Apso. She only warranted about two sentences.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2020
Ooh, yeah. The Riptide One. I don't usually love when the girls are split up, but both halves of this book were interesting. Super cool to see a loving black family in a horse book written in the 90's and the story about Maverick was cheesy, but in the exact right way for this kinda book. And bless the nuances relationship between Midge and Carole's aunt. That's great, emotionally mature stuff.
Stevie and Lisa's arc with Alice was also a super great lesson in meddling and not respecting people's boundaries. I actually wish that was a bit more explicit, but still. Good moral for kids in the actual demographic of these books. Then again, are any kids reading these now? It's gotta just be nostalgic adults like me, yeah?
Stevie and Lisa's arc with Alice was also a super great lesson in meddling and not respecting people's boundaries. I actually wish that was a bit more explicit, but still. Good moral for kids in the actual demographic of these books. Then again, are any kids reading these now? It's gotta just be nostalgic adults like me, yeah?
March 13, 2022
I liked the change of pace in this one. We get to see Carole and the Colonel go on a trip to visit family in Florida and do a lot of normal things (family picnics, a trip to Disney World). It's still horsey, but it feels more balanced. Stevie and Lisa also have a nice B-plot about meddling (although it's never clear why newcomer Alice doesn't want to jump - but I guess that's part of the lesson, it's none of their business). This is a good one!
January 17, 2023
Carole and her father go on a family vacation to the beach to visit relatives. It was nice to see Carole interacting with some family members other than her dad. I liked that she was doing some other things besides spending her time at Pine Hollow. Hitting the beach is always fun, though she does make time to be around horses on vacation. Stevie and Lisa are back at Pine Hollow sticking their nose where it doesn't belong. I thought it was a good lesson about how pushing people to do things they do not wish to do is not respecting boundaries. It is also a good lesson about digging into people's personal business. This was a cute supplement to the series.
November 30, 2020
I really liked this book becuase it gave the perfect amount of suspense. It also had horses which makes it even better. It always gives off a life lesson.I always love these books becuase I can learn things after reading them.
August 17, 2018
Read the Norwegian edition.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews