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Chestnut Hill #2
Making Strides
Welcome to Chestnut Hill, a boarding school where every girl's favourite subject is riding. Malory has always doubted she belongs in the elite world of Chestnut Hill - despite receiving a top scholarship. When a new pony, Tybalt, joins the stable, she is drawn to his wary nature and decides to ride him in the next show.
224 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 7, 2019
Like most books we can each find points we like and dislike, and what I dislike may not bother anyone else. The good points include a school which puts horse sports on the priority list, and good horse management is shown. Competitions and riding skills are nicely described, and the girls are far from perfect.
Not so good - isn't the attitude of one rich girl who looks down on another girl who came in on a scholarship, just a lazy stereotype? In every series there is a rich girl who is rude to a poorer girl. Would her parents approve of her rudeness? Is there any other reason for this? I like the touch of understanding we get for this young lady when she is pushing herself too hard to excel at every sport and society, because that is what girls in her family have to do.
In this tale we follow a scholarship girl who falls for a difficult horse. This horse is not a riding school type and seems to have been introduced mainly so the author could drag in a character from another series who does a basic Monty Roberts join-up. Way to push your other series on young readers. In reality I don't think a difficult horse would be purchased, for insurance reasons, and definitely the riding school mistress would be the first to sit on any new horse, not a girl whose name was picked from a hat.
The book was written in 2005 and I think schoolgirls should have been shown taking computer classes. But my main objection is to the terminology used in the school. Just think what it would do to young teens to come into an awe-inspiring top-notch school and to be told they are underclassmen. And the senior girls are upperclassmen. I have never come across these terms previously and was appalled. The terms sound dystopian. I don't care if this exists in every Ivy League school; the author has invented this girls' school and she should be able to set a better example. Class distinctions and superiority / inferiority are bad enough, but to call girls men as though there is no other option in a girls' school is shockingly bad. Are the boys in the boys' school St Kits, called underclasswomen? Well then. These young ladies are the future of industry and society. So are the female readers. Authors are of course free to choose what they write, but my personal belief is that this author should be thinking a lot harder about the impression she is giving to young minds.
This is an unbiased review.
Not so good - isn't the attitude of one rich girl who looks down on another girl who came in on a scholarship, just a lazy stereotype? In every series there is a rich girl who is rude to a poorer girl. Would her parents approve of her rudeness? Is there any other reason for this? I like the touch of understanding we get for this young lady when she is pushing herself too hard to excel at every sport and society, because that is what girls in her family have to do.
In this tale we follow a scholarship girl who falls for a difficult horse. This horse is not a riding school type and seems to have been introduced mainly so the author could drag in a character from another series who does a basic Monty Roberts join-up. Way to push your other series on young readers. In reality I don't think a difficult horse would be purchased, for insurance reasons, and definitely the riding school mistress would be the first to sit on any new horse, not a girl whose name was picked from a hat.
The book was written in 2005 and I think schoolgirls should have been shown taking computer classes. But my main objection is to the terminology used in the school. Just think what it would do to young teens to come into an awe-inspiring top-notch school and to be told they are underclassmen. And the senior girls are upperclassmen. I have never come across these terms previously and was appalled. The terms sound dystopian. I don't care if this exists in every Ivy League school; the author has invented this girls' school and she should be able to set a better example. Class distinctions and superiority / inferiority are bad enough, but to call girls men as though there is no other option in a girls' school is shockingly bad. Are the boys in the boys' school St Kits, called underclasswomen? Well then. These young ladies are the future of industry and society. So are the female readers. Authors are of course free to choose what they write, but my personal belief is that this author should be thinking a lot harder about the impression she is giving to young minds.
This is an unbiased review.
November 9, 2018
Review to follow!
August 22, 2020
Malory got her scholarship for Chestnut Hill, and she made some of her new friends. The girls are prepping up for the homecoming for the school's alumni, and going to join the Halloween party. After making decisions for their costumes and Malory's got a life hack trick, she was surprised that Lynsey's wearing the same outfit as hers, and she announced that she's running for the student council. Malory is also dating Caleb from Saint Kits, so expect some crush-to-crush conversations.
Dylan's aunt, Ali Carmichael is the new Director of Riding of the school. She's actually going to buy two new horses to be added in the stables, when Malory saw a horse named Tybalt and she really wants it too, so he joins with her newly bought horses. As Tybalt having troubles and is not going well for the horses in an equestrian academy, Malory needs Ms. Carmichael's help and calls up a familiar person, whose her name is Amy Fleming! She gives advice to Malory on treating Tybalt with love and care and the duo are preparing for the next competition.
I'm not a fan of Heartland or its spinoff Chestnut Hill, but it makes nonsense for a bit as I read. I'm not familiar with horse books, so I have to try this one and see if it's good, and it turned out to be the same thing.
Dylan's aunt, Ali Carmichael is the new Director of Riding of the school. She's actually going to buy two new horses to be added in the stables, when Malory saw a horse named Tybalt and she really wants it too, so he joins with her newly bought horses. As Tybalt having troubles and is not going well for the horses in an equestrian academy, Malory needs Ms. Carmichael's help and calls up a familiar person, whose her name is Amy Fleming! She gives advice to Malory on treating Tybalt with love and care and the duo are preparing for the next competition.
I'm not a fan of Heartland or its spinoff Chestnut Hill, but it makes nonsense for a bit as I read. I'm not familiar with horse books, so I have to try this one and see if it's good, and it turned out to be the same thing.
January 1, 2018
my favourite part was when Tybalt was sent away right away, and was allowed to stay as long as he was good.
November 17, 2019
I like horse books, but I couldn't get into this series.
April 10, 2020
I loved it we have a horse and I wish I could learn how to jump
We do western style
But I loved it so much!!!
We do western style
But I loved it so much!!!
August 25, 2020
Read my review on my Bookstagram accont... I will post it later today. My account is @Sarahs_privatelibary20
October 13, 2021
Really fantastic and learns you about horses
February 16, 2023
I liked the book very much. She was well read. I have read it for the second time and I will definitely read it again sometime.
June 21, 2025
Really enjoying rereading this children series
September 16, 2025
A riding adventure filled with horses, riding and fun!
February 14, 2016
Yay! This series really keeps getting better, I already loved the previous book, but I think I just love this series even more after reading this one.
Apparently we have 4 main girls and each will be the main girl for one book, and then we get back to the first girl and so on. Unlike the previous book this one is about Malory. People who read the first book know that the previous book was about Dylan, and the next seems to be about Honey! I am really excited that they picked 4 girls and that we will see stuff from their POV. That will give the characters even more depth and will make the books really fun to read.
The story of course just will continue from where we left off, we just have a different girl, different things going on in her life, different horses. But all the trouble with Lynsey? Who told on Dylan? The junior riding team stuff? All are present. As is a healthy dose of boarding school, though I feel that in this book it is a lot less than the previous one. Mostly it was about Malory and her new pony, named Tybalt, who needs some extra love.
I did love that most of the story focussed on the pony, but I also wish there was a bit more boarding school. Sure, we had some parts, but it just felt like Malory was mostly at the stable. Practically living there it seems.
Tybalt, I am not sure if I like the horse yet. I did like seeing how he adapted to his new life, and all that happened there, but he is just not my favourite horse. Maybe that will grow, we still got a bunch of books left after all so there is enough time. :)
We also find out who told on Dylan in the previous book, and I had to say, it wasn't such a big surprise.
Lynsey? She was just way too bleh in this book. I know she is the queen bee and all that, but wow, what a bitch. Making comments like that, treating her fellow team member like that. Sorry, but what? And I don't understand how she was still allowed in the horse team with some stuff that happened in this book.
Something else I noticed was that near the end Malory fed her horse a piece of brownie... I thought that horses, just like dogs, couldn't eat chocolate, on danger of health. So I am kind of confused, I would expect someone who loves horses as much as Malory to know this.
But all in all, this was a great book and I really enjoyed it. I do hope that next time we will have some more Malory x Caleb action, even with the book being from Honey's POV.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Apparently we have 4 main girls and each will be the main girl for one book, and then we get back to the first girl and so on. Unlike the previous book this one is about Malory. People who read the first book know that the previous book was about Dylan, and the next seems to be about Honey! I am really excited that they picked 4 girls and that we will see stuff from their POV. That will give the characters even more depth and will make the books really fun to read.
The story of course just will continue from where we left off, we just have a different girl, different things going on in her life, different horses. But all the trouble with Lynsey? Who told on Dylan? The junior riding team stuff? All are present. As is a healthy dose of boarding school, though I feel that in this book it is a lot less than the previous one. Mostly it was about Malory and her new pony, named Tybalt, who needs some extra love.
I did love that most of the story focussed on the pony, but I also wish there was a bit more boarding school. Sure, we had some parts, but it just felt like Malory was mostly at the stable. Practically living there it seems.
Tybalt, I am not sure if I like the horse yet. I did like seeing how he adapted to his new life, and all that happened there, but he is just not my favourite horse. Maybe that will grow, we still got a bunch of books left after all so there is enough time. :)
We also find out who told on Dylan in the previous book, and I had to say, it wasn't such a big surprise.
Lynsey? She was just way too bleh in this book. I know she is the queen bee and all that, but wow, what a bitch. Making comments like that, treating her fellow team member like that. Sorry, but what? And I don't understand how she was still allowed in the horse team with some stuff that happened in this book.
Something else I noticed was that near the end Malory fed her horse a piece of brownie... I thought that horses, just like dogs, couldn't eat chocolate, on danger of health. So I am kind of confused, I would expect someone who loves horses as much as Malory to know this.
But all in all, this was a great book and I really enjoyed it. I do hope that next time we will have some more Malory x Caleb action, even with the book being from Honey's POV.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
September 11, 2013
This is an awsome third to the series book called 'Making Strides' by Lauren Brookie. This book is about a girl and her name is honey who goes to this school called Chestnut hills and that school is a particular riding program. At that school they ride horses and train them to be able to trust the person who is riding them.Honey is a girl who has to tell a truth and doesnt lie but in this book she actually lies.what she lies about in this book is that she doesnt tellk her friends that she has a twin brother who has cancer and is very sick.
Then she finally tells one person who is called lani and they snuck out to see him and gat in trouble.then the went a competition and they got third place so they were excited and had a cristmas party. She felt bad so at the end of the book she finally said Malory and Dylan in to tell you something.
Then she finally tells one person who is called lani and they snuck out to see him and gat in trouble.then the went a competition and they got third place so they were excited and had a cristmas party. She felt bad so at the end of the book she finally said Malory and Dylan in to tell you something.
April 28, 2021
Decided to re-read this book years after it came out. Still not as good as the Heartland books, and again, it brings Amy into the narrative to move things along. I was a bit puzzled, as are most reviewers on here, why 7th graders are so obsessed with the dating scene. I was more puzzled by the author's decision to make them read and watch Macbeth in English class. As a teacher, hell would have to freeze over before I every touched that material with middle schoolers. It was also a bit sad to see Malory move on from Hardy to Tybalt without much care about Hardy's injury or how he would be rehabbed.
April 16, 2014
Great sequel to "The New Class." Malory is a lovely main character and I think she's a good role model for girls, because she's smart, kind and natural. This book is also the story of an unlikely friendship between Malory and a high-strung horse named Tybalt, which was quite touching. It gave this series more depth.
November 7, 2009
This book is great. Chestnut Hill is about a girl that goes to a boarding school set among the rollong hills of virginia. Dylan walsh has dreamed of attending the school. She is the first year student,and she's willing to take on any challenge of Chestnut hill.
February 8, 2010
Omg i loved this series !!!! i read the first 5 or 6 books and enjoyed every moment of them ! i didnt continue because i needed a change because i read all of them one after the other in a short amount of time because they were so brilliant ! . perfect for horse lovers x
July 3, 2012
Liked the first better, but good for a quick read (took me a couple hours). Not much to change since my review of the first book, but would have scored this one lower because it was based on Mallory who I don't really like, and loved Dylan who the first one was based on.
February 10, 2014
I read this when I was in middle school and I have ridden horses since I could walk, so I loved reading literature about things that I could really relate to. This series kept me entertained for a long time.
June 8, 2015
I liked that this story showed a realistic view of rehabilitating a horse that has lost it's trust in people. It's not something that changes overnight, and it's nice to see that reflected in the story.
October 31, 2008
Really good book and a great style of writing! Hehe boff talk. Heart land are also good and this book teaches you alot about horses.
August 9, 2009
THIS IS THE ONE THAT WAS THE LEAST INTERESTING BUT IT WAS STILL A REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD BOOK. I IGHT EVEN RE-READ IT!
October 3, 2009
Mallory and Tybalt are so meant for each other, and I wish I had a horse like that because, he is a little feisty yet beautiful and fun to ride!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2010
This is one of my favorite books!! It may be a little young for teens, but I read it over and over again. I love all the books in the series, Chesnut Hill.
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September 6, 2010How do we read the book online??? It doesn't make sense to have an entire website full of books, and not able to actually read them online! Wow.
May 23, 2012
About horses, friendship, and making strides. LOL
February 6, 2013
I could eally relate to the bond betwen human and horse. It just goes to say how some horses are suited to one person instead of others! Loved it. Wish I had have read more of the series.
September 18, 2015
Not bad.
July 18, 2021
reliving middle school horse girl phase
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews