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The Baby-Sitters Club #54
Mallory and the Dream Horse
Mallory loves horses. She loves reading about them. She loves writing about them. and most of all, she loves daydreaming about them.
Then Mallory's parents agree to let her take professional riding lessons. It's a dream come true! Mallory is so excited she can hardly concentrate at the BSC meetings anymore. But then the lessons begin and Mallory discovers that dreaming about horses can be a lot more fun than actually riding them.
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1992
62 people are currently reading
815 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,112 books3,057 followersAnn Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 26, 2016
this is my first time reading this book!
in this meta-horse girl book by ghostwriters Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner, mallory takes a beginner's horse riding class. she ends up not really liking it because she falls off the horse and hurts herself, plus she alienates jessi by sounding like a snooty braggart idiot about the class (jessi is not allowed to take it with her). meanwhile the youngest pikes host a talent show getting a lot of the neighborhood kids to perform too. double meanwhile (two secondary plots in this book because even the ghostwriters must know that horse girl books are BORING AS HELL) nina marshall starts school but is unpopular because she carries a security blanket everywhere.
highlights:
-on stacey: "claud calls her the Queen of Dibbleness"
-I guess we were due for an addressing of the security blanket thing (since these books are frequently about common problems that babysitting charges may have). that plot ends with the blanket getting destroyed in the dryer and dawn giving nina small pieces to subtly keep in her pockets so kids at school won't notice. I guess that's a good transition, like her methadone or something.
-I guess I appreciate that they address that all the people who would take horse riding classes (except mallory) are snooty british-wannabe rich brats whose parents are making them do it because they own horses, and they all have their own fancy riding gear and clothing. mal has to wear crappy snow boots and a helmet she got from one of her mom's friends, since she is comparitively poor.
-the pike talent show is pretty cute. I like how they go door-to-door soliciting auditions. also buddy barrett's talent is adorable. he shows pow, the "talking" dog -- he asks pow what is on top of a house and when pow barks he says something like, "right! a ROOF is on top of a house!" then he asks pow how his day was and when pow barks he says something like, "aw, you had a ROUGH day?"
lowlights/nitpicks:
-the biggest problem with this book is that it is a horse girl book. I did NOT sign up for horse girl books. if I wanted to read that crap I'd be reading Misty of Chincoteague or something. there's a part where mal and jessi decide to close their eyes and count to ten hoping that when they open their eyes they will have their dream horses. nicky interrupts them, and mal says "nicky! can't you see we're doing something very important here?" SOMETHING IMPORTANT? mallory, I usually love you since you're so precociously feminist, but sometimes I HATE YOU SO MUCH because you are so irritatingly eleven years old.
-mal narrates that the bsc added dawn, jessi, and her to the club. then, she narrates, they "even added" associate members. huh? the associates were added before mal and jessi. get yr chronology right, ghostwriters!
-mal brags to jessi about the class and the beautiful horses that she gets to see, and she doesn't understand why jessi is upset. not only is this annoying, but I also do not think it's believable for mal's personality, since she is usually pretty sensitive to people's feelings.
-mal talks to nina about how neighborhood folks didn't like jessi because of how she looked and nina is confused. mal narrates: "talking about skin color as a problem probably didn't make sense to a little girl who had just colored her doll's face blue and the hands and legs green." poor handling of race and racism yet again. as though little kids don't already have racist behaviors and thoughts deeply embedded in their socialization by evil society. as though nina, a girl who lives in a vastly predominantly white town where people other the ramseys wouldn't notice that jessi looks different from the other people she sees.
-mal says she rode western-style at camp (in Baby-Sitters' Summer Vacation -- not sure if this is accurate, because I blocked out that dumb book from my memory) but earlier in the book she said she hadn't ever had a lesson. so at this camp they let kids ride horseback without lessons? DOUBTFUL.
-mal falls off a horse and hurts herself kind of badly and ends up scared of horses for the rest of the book. I guess I'm glad this happened (the aspects of the book that show that horse culture isn't all mal thought it was are my favorite parts) but really I just kept thinking about the last episode I watched of bob's burgers, which I hated. to be honest, I think that the folks at bob's burgers might've read this book before writing that episode, because it's kind of exactly the same.
-the problem with nina's blankie plotline is that mrs. marshall says that nina has never been apart from it but if that's the case why didn't the baby-sitters already know about it before this book?
-there is an idiotic connection between the talent show, blankie, and horse plotline at the end. mallory acknowledges that she hadn't seen nicky practice his act (talent show plot connection!) because she was preoccupied with the lessons (horse plot connection!). she relates to nina, who is okay with only having a small pieces of blankie (blankie plot connection!), while she can now admire horses from afar without having to ride them. this is super-thrown-together and not actually well-connected.
no outfits.
jessi's kid kit:
-new pack of crayons
-paper dolls
mal outfit:
-"I was wearing a gold-and-brown kilt, a matching gold cotton sweater, and penny loafers."
amber outfit (snooty kid from mal's class):
-"She was wearing a pink-and-black stripes silk top over a pair of hot pink stirrup tights."
snack in claudia's room:
-potato chips (n.s.)
in this meta-horse girl book by ghostwriters Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner, mallory takes a beginner's horse riding class. she ends up not really liking it because she falls off the horse and hurts herself, plus she alienates jessi by sounding like a snooty braggart idiot about the class (jessi is not allowed to take it with her). meanwhile the youngest pikes host a talent show getting a lot of the neighborhood kids to perform too. double meanwhile (two secondary plots in this book because even the ghostwriters must know that horse girl books are BORING AS HELL) nina marshall starts school but is unpopular because she carries a security blanket everywhere.
highlights:
-on stacey: "claud calls her the Queen of Dibbleness"
-I guess we were due for an addressing of the security blanket thing (since these books are frequently about common problems that babysitting charges may have). that plot ends with the blanket getting destroyed in the dryer and dawn giving nina small pieces to subtly keep in her pockets so kids at school won't notice. I guess that's a good transition, like her methadone or something.
-I guess I appreciate that they address that all the people who would take horse riding classes (except mallory) are snooty british-wannabe rich brats whose parents are making them do it because they own horses, and they all have their own fancy riding gear and clothing. mal has to wear crappy snow boots and a helmet she got from one of her mom's friends, since she is comparitively poor.
-the pike talent show is pretty cute. I like how they go door-to-door soliciting auditions. also buddy barrett's talent is adorable. he shows pow, the "talking" dog -- he asks pow what is on top of a house and when pow barks he says something like, "right! a ROOF is on top of a house!" then he asks pow how his day was and when pow barks he says something like, "aw, you had a ROUGH day?"
lowlights/nitpicks:
-the biggest problem with this book is that it is a horse girl book. I did NOT sign up for horse girl books. if I wanted to read that crap I'd be reading Misty of Chincoteague or something. there's a part where mal and jessi decide to close their eyes and count to ten hoping that when they open their eyes they will have their dream horses. nicky interrupts them, and mal says "nicky! can't you see we're doing something very important here?" SOMETHING IMPORTANT? mallory, I usually love you since you're so precociously feminist, but sometimes I HATE YOU SO MUCH because you are so irritatingly eleven years old.
-mal narrates that the bsc added dawn, jessi, and her to the club. then, she narrates, they "even added" associate members. huh? the associates were added before mal and jessi. get yr chronology right, ghostwriters!
-mal brags to jessi about the class and the beautiful horses that she gets to see, and she doesn't understand why jessi is upset. not only is this annoying, but I also do not think it's believable for mal's personality, since she is usually pretty sensitive to people's feelings.
-mal talks to nina about how neighborhood folks didn't like jessi because of how she looked and nina is confused. mal narrates: "talking about skin color as a problem probably didn't make sense to a little girl who had just colored her doll's face blue and the hands and legs green." poor handling of race and racism yet again. as though little kids don't already have racist behaviors and thoughts deeply embedded in their socialization by evil society. as though nina, a girl who lives in a vastly predominantly white town where people other the ramseys wouldn't notice that jessi looks different from the other people she sees.
-mal says she rode western-style at camp (in Baby-Sitters' Summer Vacation -- not sure if this is accurate, because I blocked out that dumb book from my memory) but earlier in the book she said she hadn't ever had a lesson. so at this camp they let kids ride horseback without lessons? DOUBTFUL.
-mal falls off a horse and hurts herself kind of badly and ends up scared of horses for the rest of the book. I guess I'm glad this happened (the aspects of the book that show that horse culture isn't all mal thought it was are my favorite parts) but really I just kept thinking about the last episode I watched of bob's burgers, which I hated. to be honest, I think that the folks at bob's burgers might've read this book before writing that episode, because it's kind of exactly the same.
-the problem with nina's blankie plotline is that mrs. marshall says that nina has never been apart from it but if that's the case why didn't the baby-sitters already know about it before this book?
-there is an idiotic connection between the talent show, blankie, and horse plotline at the end. mallory acknowledges that she hadn't seen nicky practice his act (talent show plot connection!) because she was preoccupied with the lessons (horse plot connection!). she relates to nina, who is okay with only having a small pieces of blankie (blankie plot connection!), while she can now admire horses from afar without having to ride them. this is super-thrown-together and not actually well-connected.
no outfits.
jessi's kid kit:
-new pack of crayons
-paper dolls
mal outfit:
-"I was wearing a gold-and-brown kilt, a matching gold cotton sweater, and penny loafers."
amber outfit (snooty kid from mal's class):
-"She was wearing a pink-and-black stripes silk top over a pair of hot pink stirrup tights."
snack in claudia's room:
-potato chips (n.s.)
December 9, 2009
My 13-year-old self actually wrote a letter to Ann M. Martin about this book. I was so irritated with Mallory. Who falls off a horse and (barring serious injury) does not get back on? That is the first lesson you learn in horseback riding. You have to get back on the horse. Instead, Mallory spends the rest of the book whining about how scared she is of horses unless she gets to ride her special pony Pax. I was so disappointed, especially after reading 53 or so books worth of Mallory begging her parents for riding lessons.
Ann M. Martin did actually write me a personal letter back, which was pretty cool.
Ann M. Martin did actually write me a personal letter back, which was pretty cool.
November 12, 2010
mallory & jessi are daydreaming about how much they would love to be sara crewes from "the little princess," because she has her very own horse & gets to ride every single day. at least until she is packed off to boarding school, & then receives the false information that her father died in colonized india, leaving her penniless, so she was forced to live in a turret & give away all her beautiful dresses & scrub the floors in the kitchen & eat cheese from mousetraps. what a life of luxury!
anyway, jessi & mallory both wish to own their own horses & be able to take riding lessons. then mallory checks the mail & discovers a pamphlet for a local stable that offers beginning riding lessons at fairly reasonable prices! & it's close enough that she can ride her bike to lessons! she carefully plots to ask her parents, & even goes so far as to create visual aids addressing time concerns & expense. jessi also decides to ask for lessons, by just coming out & asking.
mallory's parents decide to let her take the classes, but jessi's parents say no. they think she has enough on her plate with babysitting, schoolwork, & ballet. jessi is pretty bummed, but mallory is somewhat blind to the fact because she is so excited that she has permission to take lessons. she even dares to waste time at a babysitters club meeting, daydreaming about riding the perfect horse. there are also a lot of really painful horse puns thrown in. the members of the babysitters club have never seemed more geeky than they do in this book. i wonder if it was some sad ghostwriter's first stab at writing for the series. all the girls are kind of like cardboard cut-outs of themselves.
mallory is so pumped for lessons that she doesn't even really care too much about the fact that her parents can't afford to buy her the traditional riding habit recommended by the stable. she instead is wearing the required accoutrements: gloves, boots, & a helmet. i am thinking about how much it would rule if she wore, like, galoshes, lacy madonna-style gloves with the fingers cut off, & a bicycle helmet that says, "i <3 kids" on it. so i'm going to pretend that's what she's wearing. in any case, the other students in her class are less than impressed. mallory decides she is there to ride though, not to enter a fashion show. a surprisingly mature attitude for an 11-year-old.
during the first lesson, mallory meets her dream horse, pax. she just likes him because he is really pretty. he's mostly white with some gray marbling, white mane & tail, brown eyes (like all horses), & very calm & good-natured. she decides that she is going to try to ride him at her next lesson.
after her lesson, she rushes home to call jessi & tell her all about it. but jessi sounds kind of distracted & not very interested in the conversation. mallory points this out, & jessi basically hangs up on her. at first mallory things jessi is just busy...but then she starts to wonder if she did something to make jessi angry?
mallory succeeds in claiming pax for her next lesson, & he's just as great to ride as he is to admire. but at the following lesson, mallory is stuck with a kind of uncooperative horse, & when she learns to canter, she forgets to hold tightly to the reins & falls off. she's pretty scared by the accident, even though she doesn't really get hurt. this begins a long process of gritting her teeth through lessons, trying to overcome her incredible fear of falling off a horse again & getting hurt. even riding pax doesn't really help, & mallory is crushed because she begged so much for these lessons & now she's not having any fun with them
to top it off, mallory's efforts to become friends with her riding lesson classmates isn't going well. she's tried to be friendly to the other kids, introduce herself, even give her phone number to a few of them, but none of them are all that friendly back. finally one of the kids mentions that they mostly all go to the same school. mallory realizes that they all knew each other before class & that's why she feels like an outsider. she decides to try to bridge the gap by attending a birthday party being thrown by one student, amber. she carefully selects a brown & gold kilt with a gold sweater, but when her mom drops her off at amber's house, mallory notices that all the girls are dressed up in bright colors & funky jewelry & mallory sticks out like a sore thumb. she has a miserable time at the party & calls jessi as soon as she gets home to commiserate. jessi is NOT having that shit.
so now mallory is totally bummed. her riding classmates don't like her, she's scared of horses, & jessi isn't talking to her. THEn she finds out that there's going to be a riding competition at the end of class. & the stable sends invitations to her family, & mrs. pike lets it slip to stacey's mom, so now mallory's whole family & all the members of the BSC are planning to attend. & mallory does NOT want to do the competition. she finally breaks down at a BSC meeting & explains everything. they rally around her & encourage her to enter the competition. after the meeting, jessi & mallory have a heart-to-heart. jessi explains that she thought mallory was bragging about her awesome lessons & the great horses & how all the other kids in her riding class were so cool & becoming her new BFFs. jessi was jealous, because she wasn't allowed to take lessons. they patch things up.
at the riding competition, mallory does her best to conquer her fear of horses & get through judging. she ends up placing sixth out of twelve students in her division. her parents are really sweet & proud of her & offer to pay for another eight weeks of lessons, forcing mallory to explain that she's scared of horses & not ready to take more lessons. everyone understands.
B story: nina marshall has started pre-school, but the other kids tease her because she lugs around her big gray baby blanket everywhere she goes. nina considers blankie her best friend & won't give him up...but she's miserable at school because the kids aren't nice to her. her teacher knows something is up, but hasn't been able to figure out the problem. super-sitter mallory figures it out after babysitting for nina for like fifteen minutes, & intends to explain the situation to mrs. marshall, but has to run off the a BSC meeting before she gets a chance. which is bullshit. yes, kristy is a stickler for time, but i think it's okay to be five minutes late because you're letting a parent know that you figured out why their four-year-old is, like, clinically depressed.
anyway, dawn comes to sit for the marshalls while blankie is in the dryer, & when she takes him out, he falls apart into a gazillion pieces. nina is horrified. but dawn gets a brain wave & tucks pieces of blankie into nina's pockets & shoes & bag, etc, explaining that now she can have blankie with her everywhere she goes, but it will be a secret. nice work, dawn.
& there's a C-plot, in which the pike kids arrange a neighborhood circus. seriously? TWO babysitting plots on top of an incredibly boring horse story? not cool.
anyway, jessi & mallory both wish to own their own horses & be able to take riding lessons. then mallory checks the mail & discovers a pamphlet for a local stable that offers beginning riding lessons at fairly reasonable prices! & it's close enough that she can ride her bike to lessons! she carefully plots to ask her parents, & even goes so far as to create visual aids addressing time concerns & expense. jessi also decides to ask for lessons, by just coming out & asking.
mallory's parents decide to let her take the classes, but jessi's parents say no. they think she has enough on her plate with babysitting, schoolwork, & ballet. jessi is pretty bummed, but mallory is somewhat blind to the fact because she is so excited that she has permission to take lessons. she even dares to waste time at a babysitters club meeting, daydreaming about riding the perfect horse. there are also a lot of really painful horse puns thrown in. the members of the babysitters club have never seemed more geeky than they do in this book. i wonder if it was some sad ghostwriter's first stab at writing for the series. all the girls are kind of like cardboard cut-outs of themselves.
mallory is so pumped for lessons that she doesn't even really care too much about the fact that her parents can't afford to buy her the traditional riding habit recommended by the stable. she instead is wearing the required accoutrements: gloves, boots, & a helmet. i am thinking about how much it would rule if she wore, like, galoshes, lacy madonna-style gloves with the fingers cut off, & a bicycle helmet that says, "i <3 kids" on it. so i'm going to pretend that's what she's wearing. in any case, the other students in her class are less than impressed. mallory decides she is there to ride though, not to enter a fashion show. a surprisingly mature attitude for an 11-year-old.
during the first lesson, mallory meets her dream horse, pax. she just likes him because he is really pretty. he's mostly white with some gray marbling, white mane & tail, brown eyes (like all horses), & very calm & good-natured. she decides that she is going to try to ride him at her next lesson.
after her lesson, she rushes home to call jessi & tell her all about it. but jessi sounds kind of distracted & not very interested in the conversation. mallory points this out, & jessi basically hangs up on her. at first mallory things jessi is just busy...but then she starts to wonder if she did something to make jessi angry?
mallory succeeds in claiming pax for her next lesson, & he's just as great to ride as he is to admire. but at the following lesson, mallory is stuck with a kind of uncooperative horse, & when she learns to canter, she forgets to hold tightly to the reins & falls off. she's pretty scared by the accident, even though she doesn't really get hurt. this begins a long process of gritting her teeth through lessons, trying to overcome her incredible fear of falling off a horse again & getting hurt. even riding pax doesn't really help, & mallory is crushed because she begged so much for these lessons & now she's not having any fun with them
to top it off, mallory's efforts to become friends with her riding lesson classmates isn't going well. she's tried to be friendly to the other kids, introduce herself, even give her phone number to a few of them, but none of them are all that friendly back. finally one of the kids mentions that they mostly all go to the same school. mallory realizes that they all knew each other before class & that's why she feels like an outsider. she decides to try to bridge the gap by attending a birthday party being thrown by one student, amber. she carefully selects a brown & gold kilt with a gold sweater, but when her mom drops her off at amber's house, mallory notices that all the girls are dressed up in bright colors & funky jewelry & mallory sticks out like a sore thumb. she has a miserable time at the party & calls jessi as soon as she gets home to commiserate. jessi is NOT having that shit.
so now mallory is totally bummed. her riding classmates don't like her, she's scared of horses, & jessi isn't talking to her. THEn she finds out that there's going to be a riding competition at the end of class. & the stable sends invitations to her family, & mrs. pike lets it slip to stacey's mom, so now mallory's whole family & all the members of the BSC are planning to attend. & mallory does NOT want to do the competition. she finally breaks down at a BSC meeting & explains everything. they rally around her & encourage her to enter the competition. after the meeting, jessi & mallory have a heart-to-heart. jessi explains that she thought mallory was bragging about her awesome lessons & the great horses & how all the other kids in her riding class were so cool & becoming her new BFFs. jessi was jealous, because she wasn't allowed to take lessons. they patch things up.
at the riding competition, mallory does her best to conquer her fear of horses & get through judging. she ends up placing sixth out of twelve students in her division. her parents are really sweet & proud of her & offer to pay for another eight weeks of lessons, forcing mallory to explain that she's scared of horses & not ready to take more lessons. everyone understands.
B story: nina marshall has started pre-school, but the other kids tease her because she lugs around her big gray baby blanket everywhere she goes. nina considers blankie her best friend & won't give him up...but she's miserable at school because the kids aren't nice to her. her teacher knows something is up, but hasn't been able to figure out the problem. super-sitter mallory figures it out after babysitting for nina for like fifteen minutes, & intends to explain the situation to mrs. marshall, but has to run off the a BSC meeting before she gets a chance. which is bullshit. yes, kristy is a stickler for time, but i think it's okay to be five minutes late because you're letting a parent know that you figured out why their four-year-old is, like, clinically depressed.
anyway, dawn comes to sit for the marshalls while blankie is in the dryer, & when she takes him out, he falls apart into a gazillion pieces. nina is horrified. but dawn gets a brain wave & tucks pieces of blankie into nina's pockets & shoes & bag, etc, explaining that now she can have blankie with her everywhere she goes, but it will be a secret. nice work, dawn.
& there's a C-plot, in which the pike kids arrange a neighborhood circus. seriously? TWO babysitting plots on top of an incredibly boring horse story? not cool.
October 15, 2012
This is a great book. I love horses just like Mallory and I would love to do horse riding lessons just like her.
February 5, 2017
Mallory decides to take the reins (HA!) on her horse obsession and take some riding lessons. But her class is something of a bust, although she does find a beautiful white horse, who she calls her "dream horse." In a subplot the other Pike kids put together a neighborhood talent show. In another subplot Nina Marshall can't let go of her special blanket, even though her preschool classmates make fun of her.
Things I remember from reading this as a kid:
I had a cousin who was so obsessed with horses when I was young, that the interest in horses completely bypassed me. I could not care less about horses, then or now. Therefore, I didn't care for this book, especially since the subplot is about how the Pikes put on a talent show. I hated the Pikes as a kid. (Actually, as an adult I'm not too crazy about them either.)
I remember being really confused by the English riding lessons. I had no idea there was such a thing, and as a kid I couldn't understand why Mallory needed special clothes to ride a stupid horse, or why anyone made such a fuss about getting the horses dressed up for the riding competition. Years later, while watching Upstairs Downstairs with my mother and grandmother I realized how precise English riding is. Years after that I read Shopaholic and Sister and laughed my head off when Becky attempts to go riding with her friends, and ends up buying a bunch of ribbons to put on her coat (even though they are meant for the horse). And then she enters a Dressage Competition, thinking it means she can dress up with her horse. It makes a lot of sense to me, Becky, it makes a lot of sense to me.
Things I've considered since reading this as adult:
Mallory and Jessi both seem very young in this book. They are nuts about horses in the dreamy, when-I'm-grown-up-everything-will-be-perfect way of young children. They enjoy the idea of owning horses, riding them whenever they want, and having romantic horse adventures like the kid in the Black Stallion. When it comes down to it though, they just can't handle being around actual horses, and actually riding them. They are not mature enough to make their dreams come true.
Mallory mentions that her father was out of work and her family had to use a lot of their savings until he got another job, but in Poor Mallory! the Pike kids were going nuts trying to find ways to save money, only to discover that Mr Pike got a severance package when he was fired, and was still receiving his salary. He didn't even have to apply for unemployment. So how the family lose their savings, since they clearly didn't need it to suffer through Mr Pike's two weeks of not having a job? Does Mr Pike have a secret gambling habit?
Mallory comes across as super desperate in this book, the way she seems to be begging for friends at her riding lessons. I don't understand why she cares so much, and it doesn't seem to really fit with her personality. I think of Mallory as being similar to Mary Anne, shy and quiet. She also completely alienates Jessi by constantly calling her to brag about her friends and her riding lessons. I can understand that she's excited and that she assumes that Jessi would want to hear all about it because Jessi also loves horses, and had hoped to take the riding class with Mallory until her parents said no, but Jessi clearly doesn't like to hear about it. Now the kids in Mallory's class are pretty terrible, and they seem to go out of their way to make her feel bad. They laugh at her when she gets thrown off her horse, and they make fun of her clothes (or lack of clothes, since she doesn't have a proper riding habit). So why does she want to be friends with them so badly, and why does she want to make Jessi believe that she is popular with these rotten kids? To me this almost seems indicative of the creepy cult of the BSC -- Mallory is desperate to escape, and must make the outside world seem like the best thing for her, even if it's not so that she can escape the brainwashing of the BSC. Of course, in the end Mallory sees the error of her ways, and realizes that her riding lessons took up way too much of her time, and made her neglect her friendships with the BSC and the children she baby sits for. "But that was over now and I was relieved. . . horses were just a small part of my life again," Mallory muses, once again sucked back into the vortex of the Baby Sitters Cult, I mean Club.
I found both subplots incredibly inane and boring. The Pikes put together a talent show and everyone is so impressed with their ingenuity. I still haven't forgiven the Pikes for being racist in Dawn and the Big Sleepover, so I am not impressed with their efforts. I wish they would put these same efforts into being more culturally and racially sensitive. We have been reading books about the BSC sitting for Nina and Eleanor Marshall for several years now, and this is the very first time we are hearing anything about Nina being overly attached to a blanket. It seems like a lot of kids go through a phase where they have something they don't want to let go of, and eventually they outgrow it. I don't know why this seems to be such a problem to everyone (including Nina's four year old classmates). I also found it really annoying that the BSC didn't tell Nina's parents about the problems they suspected her of having with her blanket at school. This was especially annoying because they figured it out after baby sitting her for a few hours, but her parents didn't seem to have a clue, even though they see her on a daily basis. Also, are preschool kids so sneaky that the teacher doesn't figure out why Nina is being teased, and by whom? I didn't think four year olds were so clever and devious that they were able to fool a grown-up who spends the majority of his time working with young children.
I was a little disappointed that Mallory didn't stick with her riding classes, although I do understand. You would never catch me riding a horse. Like Mallory I have developed a fear of falling off. But I wish Mallory would have taken lessons and eventually gotten over her fear of horses. (Also would have been nice to see her develop a somewhat athletic interest outside of writing and baby sitting.) As a kid I didn't understand that placing in any horse show is a pretty big deal, but since I now know something of the precision of riding, I think Mallory would have become an amazing rider.
Things I remember from reading this as a kid:
I had a cousin who was so obsessed with horses when I was young, that the interest in horses completely bypassed me. I could not care less about horses, then or now. Therefore, I didn't care for this book, especially since the subplot is about how the Pikes put on a talent show. I hated the Pikes as a kid. (Actually, as an adult I'm not too crazy about them either.)
I remember being really confused by the English riding lessons. I had no idea there was such a thing, and as a kid I couldn't understand why Mallory needed special clothes to ride a stupid horse, or why anyone made such a fuss about getting the horses dressed up for the riding competition. Years later, while watching Upstairs Downstairs with my mother and grandmother I realized how precise English riding is. Years after that I read Shopaholic and Sister and laughed my head off when Becky attempts to go riding with her friends, and ends up buying a bunch of ribbons to put on her coat (even though they are meant for the horse). And then she enters a Dressage Competition, thinking it means she can dress up with her horse. It makes a lot of sense to me, Becky, it makes a lot of sense to me.
Things I've considered since reading this as adult:
Mallory and Jessi both seem very young in this book. They are nuts about horses in the dreamy, when-I'm-grown-up-everything-will-be-perfect way of young children. They enjoy the idea of owning horses, riding them whenever they want, and having romantic horse adventures like the kid in the Black Stallion. When it comes down to it though, they just can't handle being around actual horses, and actually riding them. They are not mature enough to make their dreams come true.
Mallory mentions that her father was out of work and her family had to use a lot of their savings until he got another job, but in Poor Mallory! the Pike kids were going nuts trying to find ways to save money, only to discover that Mr Pike got a severance package when he was fired, and was still receiving his salary. He didn't even have to apply for unemployment. So how the family lose their savings, since they clearly didn't need it to suffer through Mr Pike's two weeks of not having a job? Does Mr Pike have a secret gambling habit?
Mallory comes across as super desperate in this book, the way she seems to be begging for friends at her riding lessons. I don't understand why she cares so much, and it doesn't seem to really fit with her personality. I think of Mallory as being similar to Mary Anne, shy and quiet. She also completely alienates Jessi by constantly calling her to brag about her friends and her riding lessons. I can understand that she's excited and that she assumes that Jessi would want to hear all about it because Jessi also loves horses, and had hoped to take the riding class with Mallory until her parents said no, but Jessi clearly doesn't like to hear about it. Now the kids in Mallory's class are pretty terrible, and they seem to go out of their way to make her feel bad. They laugh at her when she gets thrown off her horse, and they make fun of her clothes (or lack of clothes, since she doesn't have a proper riding habit). So why does she want to be friends with them so badly, and why does she want to make Jessi believe that she is popular with these rotten kids? To me this almost seems indicative of the creepy cult of the BSC -- Mallory is desperate to escape, and must make the outside world seem like the best thing for her, even if it's not so that she can escape the brainwashing of the BSC. Of course, in the end Mallory sees the error of her ways, and realizes that her riding lessons took up way too much of her time, and made her neglect her friendships with the BSC and the children she baby sits for. "But that was over now and I was relieved. . . horses were just a small part of my life again," Mallory muses, once again sucked back into the vortex of the Baby Sitters Cult, I mean Club.
I found both subplots incredibly inane and boring. The Pikes put together a talent show and everyone is so impressed with their ingenuity. I still haven't forgiven the Pikes for being racist in Dawn and the Big Sleepover, so I am not impressed with their efforts. I wish they would put these same efforts into being more culturally and racially sensitive. We have been reading books about the BSC sitting for Nina and Eleanor Marshall for several years now, and this is the very first time we are hearing anything about Nina being overly attached to a blanket. It seems like a lot of kids go through a phase where they have something they don't want to let go of, and eventually they outgrow it. I don't know why this seems to be such a problem to everyone (including Nina's four year old classmates). I also found it really annoying that the BSC didn't tell Nina's parents about the problems they suspected her of having with her blanket at school. This was especially annoying because they figured it out after baby sitting her for a few hours, but her parents didn't seem to have a clue, even though they see her on a daily basis. Also, are preschool kids so sneaky that the teacher doesn't figure out why Nina is being teased, and by whom? I didn't think four year olds were so clever and devious that they were able to fool a grown-up who spends the majority of his time working with young children.
I was a little disappointed that Mallory didn't stick with her riding classes, although I do understand. You would never catch me riding a horse. Like Mallory I have developed a fear of falling off. But I wish Mallory would have taken lessons and eventually gotten over her fear of horses. (Also would have been nice to see her develop a somewhat athletic interest outside of writing and baby sitting.) As a kid I didn't understand that placing in any horse show is a pretty big deal, but since I now know something of the precision of riding, I think Mallory would have become an amazing rider.
March 29, 2021
When the opportunity to take horse riding classes presents itself to Mallory she jumps on it!
Sadly, Jessi couldn’t get permission from her parents so Mallory takes on the lessons by herself. Too bad it isn’t as much fun as she thought it would be. All the other kids in her riding class are snobby and rich. Mallory feels left out. And to top it off, after she falls during her second week of riding...she becomes so scared of riding horses that she dreads going to practice each week. Not to mention she has no one she can talk to about all of this. She can’t confide in her parents since she begged them to do this and it cost a lot of money...and she also can’t really confide in her best friend Jessi since Jessi is acting standoffish towards her lately from jealousy.
I enjoyed this book so much. I would have preferred it ended with Mallory taking more lessons though especially since her parents were so kind to offer them up and where proud of her. She chose not to but I think once you start something that it’s important to stick with it.
Sadly, Jessi couldn’t get permission from her parents so Mallory takes on the lessons by herself. Too bad it isn’t as much fun as she thought it would be. All the other kids in her riding class are snobby and rich. Mallory feels left out. And to top it off, after she falls during her second week of riding...she becomes so scared of riding horses that she dreads going to practice each week. Not to mention she has no one she can talk to about all of this. She can’t confide in her parents since she begged them to do this and it cost a lot of money...and she also can’t really confide in her best friend Jessi since Jessi is acting standoffish towards her lately from jealousy.
I enjoyed this book so much. I would have preferred it ended with Mallory taking more lessons though especially since her parents were so kind to offer them up and where proud of her. She chose not to but I think once you start something that it’s important to stick with it.
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February 4, 2025Mallory and the Dream Horse
Jessi is over at Mallory’s. At first, Jessi is reading Misty of Chincoteague and Mallory is reading Black Beauty. After they put Claire down for a nap, they watch “The Black Stallion”. This leads to them discussing what their dream horse would be. Mal says an Arabian (white) with a long, flowing, mane. His eyes would be warm and brown. He’d be extremely smart so if she feel and broke her ankle, he’d know how to go get help.
Jessi says her’s would do cute things like bring her his bridle and count to ten with his hoof. Mal says hers would live in a stable in her backyard and they’d go riding every day and enter horse shows all over the country and win. Of course, she’d take lessons. As many as she wanted. They both really want their own horses. Mal says she’s going to close their eyes and count to ten and when she opens her eyes she’ll have her dream horse, riding lessons, and contacts. Jessi wishes the same thing but she adds she’ll dance the lead role in the Nutcracker next year. (But hasn’t she already done this?). But the Pikes come in and start a chaotic circus and that ends those fantasies for now.
Before the BSC meeting, Mal gets a brochure in the mail about riding lessons at Kendal Farm-which is only a bike ride away-. Jessi says she wants to take lessons too and they both say they’ll ask their parents. Mallory has a sitting job with Eleanor and Nina Marshall. Nina has just started pre-school and tells Mallory over playing Barbies that none of the other kids like her because she carries her Blankie to school. Nina takes it everywhere with it and treats it like a person. Mal suggest she take a smaller one and even hide it in her cupboard but Nina says no. At the BSC, meeting Mal tells Jessi tonights the night she talks to her parents and she has a strategy in mind. (Jessi says she’s going to do the same only she’s just gonna ask straight out).
Mal pulls out all the stops. She has a chart to show her parents how riding lessons won’t interfere with her homework and the BSC meetiings. They’ll only be on Saturday mornings. Then she tells them half of her baby sitting money will go toward the lessons. The lessons will just be eight total. They agree as long as she pays half. Jessi’s parents tho say she’ll already doing too much with her ballet lessons and the BSC. After this the Pike kids decide to throw a talent show (like Star Search) starring them.
The lesson goes great. The only bad thing is Mal has the wrong clothes. Everyone else is dressed in English riding outfits. Mal’s outfit is make due (worn gloves, borrowed helmet, jeans, checkered shirt, etc). It’s taught by Lauren Kendal. (She’s beautiful and cool and Mal wants to be like her). She teaches them mounting, dismounting, troting, and riding in reverse. Mal sees her dream horse and finds out his name is Pax and he belongs to the stable (so hopefully she’ll get to ride him). She calls Jessi immediately after the lesson but Jessi’s tone is flat and she acts distracted. When Jessica tells he she’s busy and hangs up on her, Mal wonders if she did something to make Jessi angry.
Jessi has a job with Nina and Eleanor. Her mom says the teacher sent a note that something’s going on with Nina (she’s uneasy about something). Jessica tries to talk to Nina (about school and Blankie) but she’s not very talkative. Jessi tells Nina about how when she first got there the kids weren’t nice to her because of how she looked. Then they got to know her and she made lots of friends. Nina though doesn’t get it. (She’s just colored a doll a lot of different colors. Plus, she’s little and doesn’t understand yet about racism). Claire. Margo, and Vanessa come by recruiting door to door. Nina tho doesn’t want too. Jessica even suggest she be an elephant and wrap herself in Blankie. Nina considers it but says no. She does agree tho to go watch the Pikes rehearse.
It's very flawed but funny. Jessi hopes by the time the talent show happens, Nina will have changed her mind about things will be better at her school. Mal gets to ride Pax on the second lesson. She meets some of the others. They aren’t that impressive (truthfully, they’re snotty) but ill name them.
There’s Allison (who critics Mal’s clothes and gets told off by Lauren).
There’s a plump girl was has 8 horses who’s only taking the classes to learn English style named Megan. (She’s rude to a horse and calls it dumb and an idiot). There’s one named Kyle. I think this is a girl. Kylie? Then there’s David (who was riding Pax the first lesson). Mallory is way too eager and over-shares with (well all of em but especially) David. David doesn’t really want to take the class, Mal finds out.
She offers to give him her number and invites him over to meet her brothers and sisters. Later, Mal calls Jessi and she’s more friendly but when she starts to talk about her riding lesson Jessi turns distant and it’s clear she could care less. Jessi says she’ll see her school and doesn’t make any further plans to hang with her over the weekend. Mal tries to tell herself she has other friends like Megan (who she also pushed her number on) and David but they don’t call and a week goes by and she doesn’t talk to Jessi.
On the third lesson, Mal has issues with Gremlins. The other kids still act like Mal doesn’t exist. Laura teaches the class how to canter. Gremlin tosses Mal off and her head hits the ground. Mrs. Pike has to be called to come get Mal. She tries to encourage her and says it happens to the best of riders and its probably time they retire Gremlin. Mrs. Pike makes Mal go to the hospital to get checked out. The diagnosis is she’ll live. Just take it easier next time. Mrs. Pike says she doesn’t think there should be a next time. Mr. Pike lets Mal decide and she says she can’t let one fall stop her and promises she’ll be careful. Mrs. Pike agrees only if she’ll not ride Gremlin again, but Gremlin is replaced with a horse named Samson. Mal tho is afraid to get on any horse after the accident. It gets worse.
Mal starts to dread going to the stable and there’s no one she can talk to about it. She can’t tell her parents. More than anything she misses Jessi. She use to could have told her about how she felt and she’d understand but now they just seem to have drifted apart. Claudia and Stacey watch Claire, Margo, and Vanessa’s dress rehearsal. Buddy audition for Pow conists of him making him talk (what’s on top of a house-woof- and how was your day -ruff-) and making him jump through a hoop.
Haley auditions with a dance routine. Carrot ends up stealing Nina’s blanket and Maryanne, Claudia, and Stacey have to recue “him” and give it back to Nina. They all talk about how hard it was to get the blanket there and how it’s a problem. They all hope she grows out of it. The next lesson, Mal has a horse named “Twilight”. Mal has a problem staying on. Twilight tries to throw Mal but she’s able to stay on, grab the reigns, and not hit the ground. Lauren says they have two more lessons. There will be a horse show and they can show off all they learned. Ribbons will be handed out. Their families are invited. It’ll be on a Sunday.
A girl named Amber says she’s having a party Wednesday to celebrate her birthday. She says she hopes they can all come. She’s got some fun things planned. Then she smiles at Mal. Megan (Mal finds out) knows Amber and says her parties are cool. Mal realizes they all know each other. A lot of them go to the same school. Mal goes with the preppy look which is a mistake. All the others are dressed in cool, trendy, clothes. Amber acts friendly to Mal and greet her but doesn’t introduce her to her friends and tells her to introduce herself. When she tries, they snub her. She spends the party by herself eating sandwitches and eating punch. Mal is ready to leave by the time her mom comes (even tho she says she can stay later).
She calls Jessi to vent but she’s not sympathetic. She wants to tell her about everything else but she just can’t find the words and makes an excuse to get off the phone saying she drank to much punch. On the last lesson, Mal rides a horse named “Duke” (the only one she feels comfortable with). She’ll be ridding Duke but she wishes she was riding Pax (in the horse show). They go over what they’ll be doing in the show. At the end of the lesson, they draw names of the horses they’ll be riding. Mal gets to pick second and she gets to pick Pax.
Dawn sits for Nina. Her mother tells her she hasn’t been apart from that blanket since (practically) she was born. Once they left it at a relatives house and when she found out it was gone, she got hysterical and they had to turn the car around. Nina gets upset because she leaves Blankie in the dryer and a piece of it comes off. Nina tells Dawn she killed him. She sticks her finger in to get him out and Dawn thinks she’s burned her finger when she starts to howl. The more they touch him the more he starts to fall apart. Dawn tries to make it better by telling her the pieces of him will fit in her pocket, up her sleeve, in her back pocket, under pillow (so on). Now she can take him everywhere she goes in secret. Kristy officially congratulates Dawn on a job well done at the next official meeting.
Mrs. Marshall calls and says Nina was ok with only taking a piece of Blankie to school with her. So, problem solved! Mal finally breaks down at the meeting. Kristy says she had a bad fall. It takes time to get over something like that. Mal asks if they think she’ll get over it. Jessi says yes but maybe not right away. Mal says she doubts she learned anything but they show her she’s learned more than she thinks when she instructs Claudia how to stay on a horse. They all wish her luck Sunday. Jessi and Mal make up. Jessi apologizes for being jealous. She says she felt like Mal was bragging. She says Mal made it seem like she had all these new rich friends who owned their own horses and were inviting her to fancy parties. She says she felt left out.
Mal confesses she’s not at all close to the others. They made her feel like an outsider because of her clothes and she was the worse rider. She says the only good thing was Pax. Mal says she REALLY wishes she didn’t have to be in the horse show and then there’s another class starting next week. Jessi says just tell her parents the truth but Mal says she can’t. It’ll just make them feel bad. Mallory wins sixth place. Amber wins 1st. Mallory thinks it’s terrible but Vanessa says at least she was better than half the ones in her class. (But the other half were better than her). She thinks at least it’ll show lessons were a waste of money. But her parents say they’ll pay full price for the next set of lessons. Mal has to tell her parents the truth and tells them she didn’t enjoy her lessons. She tells them she’s just not ready to get back on a big horse right now. Her parents say they appreciate her honesty and when she changes her mind let them know. They think she’ll make a fine horse woman.
My Thoughts:
I kept this one short. Why is there ALWAYS a horse book? Has anyone else ever wondered that? I think the only thing that made me think anything in this one was Nina and Blankie. Blankie reminded me of a story my mother and aunt use to tell about how I use to have a little raggedy teddy bear named “Jason”. Jason after a while was just a head pinned to a shirt. But they said I use to LOVE this thing to death. I once left it (I think they said) at (was it) the library and I made them go all the way back and get it. I could *not* go to sleep with out it. I think all kids have their special little something. My cousin had a Teddy Ruxpin that he use to carry around all the time. I thought Dawn’s solution was good. I was just surprised that Nina went along with it. I would have thought that Mr. and Mrs. Marshall would have spent the rest of the book searching all over the place for another Blankie OR trying to sew him back together again.
Rating: 5 I just don’t have anything for Mallory’s part other than to say sometimes you learn that the things you *think* you want so badly you find out you can live without and you REALLY (really) don’t!
Jessi is over at Mallory’s. At first, Jessi is reading Misty of Chincoteague and Mallory is reading Black Beauty. After they put Claire down for a nap, they watch “The Black Stallion”. This leads to them discussing what their dream horse would be. Mal says an Arabian (white) with a long, flowing, mane. His eyes would be warm and brown. He’d be extremely smart so if she feel and broke her ankle, he’d know how to go get help.
Jessi says her’s would do cute things like bring her his bridle and count to ten with his hoof. Mal says hers would live in a stable in her backyard and they’d go riding every day and enter horse shows all over the country and win. Of course, she’d take lessons. As many as she wanted. They both really want their own horses. Mal says she’s going to close their eyes and count to ten and when she opens her eyes she’ll have her dream horse, riding lessons, and contacts. Jessi wishes the same thing but she adds she’ll dance the lead role in the Nutcracker next year. (But hasn’t she already done this?). But the Pikes come in and start a chaotic circus and that ends those fantasies for now.
Before the BSC meeting, Mal gets a brochure in the mail about riding lessons at Kendal Farm-which is only a bike ride away-. Jessi says she wants to take lessons too and they both say they’ll ask their parents. Mallory has a sitting job with Eleanor and Nina Marshall. Nina has just started pre-school and tells Mallory over playing Barbies that none of the other kids like her because she carries her Blankie to school. Nina takes it everywhere with it and treats it like a person. Mal suggest she take a smaller one and even hide it in her cupboard but Nina says no. At the BSC, meeting Mal tells Jessi tonights the night she talks to her parents and she has a strategy in mind. (Jessi says she’s going to do the same only she’s just gonna ask straight out).
Mal pulls out all the stops. She has a chart to show her parents how riding lessons won’t interfere with her homework and the BSC meetiings. They’ll only be on Saturday mornings. Then she tells them half of her baby sitting money will go toward the lessons. The lessons will just be eight total. They agree as long as she pays half. Jessi’s parents tho say she’ll already doing too much with her ballet lessons and the BSC. After this the Pike kids decide to throw a talent show (like Star Search) starring them.
The lesson goes great. The only bad thing is Mal has the wrong clothes. Everyone else is dressed in English riding outfits. Mal’s outfit is make due (worn gloves, borrowed helmet, jeans, checkered shirt, etc). It’s taught by Lauren Kendal. (She’s beautiful and cool and Mal wants to be like her). She teaches them mounting, dismounting, troting, and riding in reverse. Mal sees her dream horse and finds out his name is Pax and he belongs to the stable (so hopefully she’ll get to ride him). She calls Jessi immediately after the lesson but Jessi’s tone is flat and she acts distracted. When Jessica tells he she’s busy and hangs up on her, Mal wonders if she did something to make Jessi angry.
Jessi has a job with Nina and Eleanor. Her mom says the teacher sent a note that something’s going on with Nina (she’s uneasy about something). Jessica tries to talk to Nina (about school and Blankie) but she’s not very talkative. Jessi tells Nina about how when she first got there the kids weren’t nice to her because of how she looked. Then they got to know her and she made lots of friends. Nina though doesn’t get it. (She’s just colored a doll a lot of different colors. Plus, she’s little and doesn’t understand yet about racism). Claire. Margo, and Vanessa come by recruiting door to door. Nina tho doesn’t want too. Jessica even suggest she be an elephant and wrap herself in Blankie. Nina considers it but says no. She does agree tho to go watch the Pikes rehearse.
It's very flawed but funny. Jessi hopes by the time the talent show happens, Nina will have changed her mind about things will be better at her school. Mal gets to ride Pax on the second lesson. She meets some of the others. They aren’t that impressive (truthfully, they’re snotty) but ill name them.
There’s Allison (who critics Mal’s clothes and gets told off by Lauren).
There’s a plump girl was has 8 horses who’s only taking the classes to learn English style named Megan. (She’s rude to a horse and calls it dumb and an idiot). There’s one named Kyle. I think this is a girl. Kylie? Then there’s David (who was riding Pax the first lesson). Mallory is way too eager and over-shares with (well all of em but especially) David. David doesn’t really want to take the class, Mal finds out.
She offers to give him her number and invites him over to meet her brothers and sisters. Later, Mal calls Jessi and she’s more friendly but when she starts to talk about her riding lesson Jessi turns distant and it’s clear she could care less. Jessi says she’ll see her school and doesn’t make any further plans to hang with her over the weekend. Mal tries to tell herself she has other friends like Megan (who she also pushed her number on) and David but they don’t call and a week goes by and she doesn’t talk to Jessi.
On the third lesson, Mal has issues with Gremlins. The other kids still act like Mal doesn’t exist. Laura teaches the class how to canter. Gremlin tosses Mal off and her head hits the ground. Mrs. Pike has to be called to come get Mal. She tries to encourage her and says it happens to the best of riders and its probably time they retire Gremlin. Mrs. Pike makes Mal go to the hospital to get checked out. The diagnosis is she’ll live. Just take it easier next time. Mrs. Pike says she doesn’t think there should be a next time. Mr. Pike lets Mal decide and she says she can’t let one fall stop her and promises she’ll be careful. Mrs. Pike agrees only if she’ll not ride Gremlin again, but Gremlin is replaced with a horse named Samson. Mal tho is afraid to get on any horse after the accident. It gets worse.
Mal starts to dread going to the stable and there’s no one she can talk to about it. She can’t tell her parents. More than anything she misses Jessi. She use to could have told her about how she felt and she’d understand but now they just seem to have drifted apart. Claudia and Stacey watch Claire, Margo, and Vanessa’s dress rehearsal. Buddy audition for Pow conists of him making him talk (what’s on top of a house-woof- and how was your day -ruff-) and making him jump through a hoop.
Haley auditions with a dance routine. Carrot ends up stealing Nina’s blanket and Maryanne, Claudia, and Stacey have to recue “him” and give it back to Nina. They all talk about how hard it was to get the blanket there and how it’s a problem. They all hope she grows out of it. The next lesson, Mal has a horse named “Twilight”. Mal has a problem staying on. Twilight tries to throw Mal but she’s able to stay on, grab the reigns, and not hit the ground. Lauren says they have two more lessons. There will be a horse show and they can show off all they learned. Ribbons will be handed out. Their families are invited. It’ll be on a Sunday.
A girl named Amber says she’s having a party Wednesday to celebrate her birthday. She says she hopes they can all come. She’s got some fun things planned. Then she smiles at Mal. Megan (Mal finds out) knows Amber and says her parties are cool. Mal realizes they all know each other. A lot of them go to the same school. Mal goes with the preppy look which is a mistake. All the others are dressed in cool, trendy, clothes. Amber acts friendly to Mal and greet her but doesn’t introduce her to her friends and tells her to introduce herself. When she tries, they snub her. She spends the party by herself eating sandwitches and eating punch. Mal is ready to leave by the time her mom comes (even tho she says she can stay later).
She calls Jessi to vent but she’s not sympathetic. She wants to tell her about everything else but she just can’t find the words and makes an excuse to get off the phone saying she drank to much punch. On the last lesson, Mal rides a horse named “Duke” (the only one she feels comfortable with). She’ll be ridding Duke but she wishes she was riding Pax (in the horse show). They go over what they’ll be doing in the show. At the end of the lesson, they draw names of the horses they’ll be riding. Mal gets to pick second and she gets to pick Pax.
Dawn sits for Nina. Her mother tells her she hasn’t been apart from that blanket since (practically) she was born. Once they left it at a relatives house and when she found out it was gone, she got hysterical and they had to turn the car around. Nina gets upset because she leaves Blankie in the dryer and a piece of it comes off. Nina tells Dawn she killed him. She sticks her finger in to get him out and Dawn thinks she’s burned her finger when she starts to howl. The more they touch him the more he starts to fall apart. Dawn tries to make it better by telling her the pieces of him will fit in her pocket, up her sleeve, in her back pocket, under pillow (so on). Now she can take him everywhere she goes in secret. Kristy officially congratulates Dawn on a job well done at the next official meeting.
Mrs. Marshall calls and says Nina was ok with only taking a piece of Blankie to school with her. So, problem solved! Mal finally breaks down at the meeting. Kristy says she had a bad fall. It takes time to get over something like that. Mal asks if they think she’ll get over it. Jessi says yes but maybe not right away. Mal says she doubts she learned anything but they show her she’s learned more than she thinks when she instructs Claudia how to stay on a horse. They all wish her luck Sunday. Jessi and Mal make up. Jessi apologizes for being jealous. She says she felt like Mal was bragging. She says Mal made it seem like she had all these new rich friends who owned their own horses and were inviting her to fancy parties. She says she felt left out.
Mal confesses she’s not at all close to the others. They made her feel like an outsider because of her clothes and she was the worse rider. She says the only good thing was Pax. Mal says she REALLY wishes she didn’t have to be in the horse show and then there’s another class starting next week. Jessi says just tell her parents the truth but Mal says she can’t. It’ll just make them feel bad. Mallory wins sixth place. Amber wins 1st. Mallory thinks it’s terrible but Vanessa says at least she was better than half the ones in her class. (But the other half were better than her). She thinks at least it’ll show lessons were a waste of money. But her parents say they’ll pay full price for the next set of lessons. Mal has to tell her parents the truth and tells them she didn’t enjoy her lessons. She tells them she’s just not ready to get back on a big horse right now. Her parents say they appreciate her honesty and when she changes her mind let them know. They think she’ll make a fine horse woman.
My Thoughts:
I kept this one short. Why is there ALWAYS a horse book? Has anyone else ever wondered that? I think the only thing that made me think anything in this one was Nina and Blankie. Blankie reminded me of a story my mother and aunt use to tell about how I use to have a little raggedy teddy bear named “Jason”. Jason after a while was just a head pinned to a shirt. But they said I use to LOVE this thing to death. I once left it (I think they said) at (was it) the library and I made them go all the way back and get it. I could *not* go to sleep with out it. I think all kids have their special little something. My cousin had a Teddy Ruxpin that he use to carry around all the time. I thought Dawn’s solution was good. I was just surprised that Nina went along with it. I would have thought that Mr. and Mrs. Marshall would have spent the rest of the book searching all over the place for another Blankie OR trying to sew him back together again.
Rating: 5 I just don’t have anything for Mallory’s part other than to say sometimes you learn that the things you *think* you want so badly you find out you can live without and you REALLY (really) don’t!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2021
I hope I haven't gotten too old for horse girl books because I just bought a series of christian horse girl favorites I didn't know were christian when I read them as a child...but I didn't like this one at all. It was the first one so far that was actually painful to get through. I feel bad for Mallory but tbh she mostly acts cringey in this book which I think was my entire impression of her as a kid, and I was just congratulating myself on how wrong I was because she's pretty great in her other books so far. Also the side plots baaaaarely had anything to do with the main plot and I easily could have done without them too.
July 26, 2024
I don't find Mallory inherently cringeworthy so this came as a disappointment especially following so shortly after the rather strong Mallory and the Ghost Cat. I also disclaim I'm not a horse girl. I haven't even read Misty of Chincoteague, Yet, at least.
Mallory has the opportunity to take horseback riding lessons but has her confidence shaken after one fall. Mal's obtuseness over the snobby kids and Jessi's feelings was deeply cringey. The Nina blanket subplot and the talent show subplot all connect poorly and Mallory decides she'd rather admire horses from afar which seems like an unsatisfying reversion to the status quo. I understand that making major lasting changes in this series' characters can be unsustainable and I did like the acknowledgement that Mal may resume lessons when she's older. All in all, poorly executed especially as a book that explores what must have been a long tempting plotline what with Mal and Jessi's longrunning horse obsession.
Mallory has the opportunity to take horseback riding lessons but has her confidence shaken after one fall. Mal's obtuseness over the snobby kids and Jessi's feelings was deeply cringey. The Nina blanket subplot and the talent show subplot all connect poorly and Mallory decides she'd rather admire horses from afar which seems like an unsatisfying reversion to the status quo. I understand that making major lasting changes in this series' characters can be unsustainable and I did like the acknowledgement that Mal may resume lessons when she's older. All in all, poorly executed especially as a book that explores what must have been a long tempting plotline what with Mal and Jessi's longrunning horse obsession.
December 3, 2021
Do I love Mallory books? Do I hate them? It’s kind of impossible to say at this point. This was one of the most boring books I’ve ever read and yet there was something about it that just drew me in. I basically didn’t read any of the parts not related to the horse plot because I loathe the Pike family shenanigans and I’m just annoyed with all the neighborhood kids at this point.
Not only is Mallory unbelievably annoying, her complete lack of social awareness is on full display in this book. I could tell just from the cover painting that I would be cringing throughout this book. Yet at the same time, she’s so depressing, darkly funny, and painfully awkward that I think she might actually be the best written character. All these other girls have their traumatic background stories down to a formula, and Mallory’s like… I’ll just tell you I have eight siblings and let the events of this novel speak for themselves.
Well, this entertained me. I'll give it 3 stars.
Not only is Mallory unbelievably annoying, her complete lack of social awareness is on full display in this book. I could tell just from the cover painting that I would be cringing throughout this book. Yet at the same time, she’s so depressing, darkly funny, and painfully awkward that I think she might actually be the best written character. All these other girls have their traumatic background stories down to a formula, and Mallory’s like… I’ll just tell you I have eight siblings and let the events of this novel speak for themselves.
Well, this entertained me. I'll give it 3 stars.
October 21, 2023
I still remember getting this book in 1993
Mallory and Jessi love horse books and want to take riding lessons after Mallory got an ad in the mail. Mallorys parents said yes, but Jessis said no since she’s already busy with ballet
Anyways, Mallory doesn’t enjoy the classes cause the other students are obnoxious and she fell off a horse one time and was traumatized. She did fall in love with this horse Pax though, and did well for the riding contest towards the end. The rest of the time, she is bragging about the class to Jessi who got annoyed with her. I don’t get why Mallory was being so fake about it when she wasn’t enjoying it. Her parents offered to pay for more lessons and she said no
I wish there was a book where Mallory wrote a horse story, that would have been refreshing, and maybe Claudia could have illustrated it
Mallory and Jessi love horse books and want to take riding lessons after Mallory got an ad in the mail. Mallorys parents said yes, but Jessis said no since she’s already busy with ballet
Anyways, Mallory doesn’t enjoy the classes cause the other students are obnoxious and she fell off a horse one time and was traumatized. She did fall in love with this horse Pax though, and did well for the riding contest towards the end. The rest of the time, she is bragging about the class to Jessi who got annoyed with her. I don’t get why Mallory was being so fake about it when she wasn’t enjoying it. Her parents offered to pay for more lessons and she said no
I wish there was a book where Mallory wrote a horse story, that would have been refreshing, and maybe Claudia could have illustrated it
August 29, 2020
I was never a horse girl, but one thing that really comes across in this volume is how little Martin and now the ghostwriters seem to care about Mallory as a character. She's almost always doing something annoying when she shows up in someone else's book, and I just don't believe that she could no idea why Jessi is miffed at her for most of the book. Girl, you get to take riding lessons your best friend isn't allowed and then regularly call her up specifically to brag about them. Of course she's pissed at you!
The side plots in this one (a kiddie talent show and a bit about a girl's comfort blanket) are also unusually bland.
The side plots in this one (a kiddie talent show and a bit about a girl's comfort blanket) are also unusually bland.
June 4, 2017
One of the tasks in the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge this year is to read a book you loved as a child. I used to read the Babysitter's Club books all the time and I couldn't remember a specific BSC book I loved so I picked up one that was available at the library. This was a cute, quick read and brought back a lot of memories and I remember why I loved these characters so much. It's funny how some of the details come back so quick even though it's been about 25 years since last reading these books. This was a fun task to complete within the reading challenge.
December 21, 2019
Poor Mallory. It's no surprise that she's the uncoolest BSC member, but that's usually pretty endearing. I mean, we all want to be Claudia and Stacey, but deep down we know that we are all Mallorys. But she's just so cringey in this book that I don't even want to admit having anything in common with her. She starts riding lessons and is so desperate to make friends it's embarrassing. Like, I didn't even care about the rest of the story, I just cared that Mallory was so awkward and it wasn't cute.
June 30, 2023
The horse riding parts of this plot just really don't interest me, but a lot of the other stuff was really good. Mallory's fear after falling off the horse (especially interesting after Kristy's stress in the previous book), her difficulty and awkwardness making friends with the kids from her riding class and how there's no magical moment that changes that, and her decision not to continue to pursue riding anymore for awhile. The Pike talent show subplot was really funny. And I was really glad to see the socioeconomics of the riding class illustrated.
June 12, 2020
My heart just went out to Mallory in this one. The author really captured her loneliness and desperate desire to fit in and make friends. My heart broke for her when something she was so excited for and passionate about was destroyed by mean kids and a traumatic experience. It would have been nice to see her maybe volunteer at the stables to get over her fear at a gentle pace, as well as maybe earn riding hours to learn to ride at her own pace.
Read
July 29, 2020As a kid my best friends sister had the whole BSC series on a book shelf in her room. I thought she was so grown up. And I envied this bookshelf. And would often poke my head into that room just to look at it.
And when I read BSC, I felt like such a grown up.
And while I might have still been a little too young to understand some of the issues dealt with in these books, I do appreciated that Ann M. Martin tackled age appropriate issues, some being deeper than others, but still important.
And when I read BSC, I felt like such a grown up.
And while I might have still been a little too young to understand some of the issues dealt with in these books, I do appreciated that Ann M. Martin tackled age appropriate issues, some being deeper than others, but still important.
August 17, 2017
Not the most entertaining BSC book, but I like horses so it wasn't as bad as it might have been. Also I appreciated that Mallory got bucked (it hurts, trust me) and was able to push through her fear to keep going even if she didn't really want to. So props for that at least!
But two b-plots? Really? They both sucked, and were both dull. One babysitting b-plot is bad enough, but TWO!?
But two b-plots? Really? They both sucked, and were both dull. One babysitting b-plot is bad enough, but TWO!?
December 14, 2020
(LL)
This book does a good job tackling: jealousy, determination, and realizing that sometimes things aren’t as great as they seem.
Honestly, this book was kind of boring. Maybe if you love horses this book would be amazing, but it wasn’t that captivating and the subplots weren’t that interesting either. All of it was still a good overall message so I gave it three stars.
This book does a good job tackling: jealousy, determination, and realizing that sometimes things aren’t as great as they seem.
Honestly, this book was kind of boring. Maybe if you love horses this book would be amazing, but it wasn’t that captivating and the subplots weren’t that interesting either. All of it was still a good overall message so I gave it three stars.
March 5, 2023
When I was 10 I joined a readers club/group where we got a new book every week. I chose The babysitters club.
The books are fantastic! So enjoyable. I loved getting the book every week. They are super quick reads and I was able to read it in one day.
Highly recommend for young teenagers to read or even younger if they are able too read well.
The books are fantastic! So enjoyable. I loved getting the book every week. They are super quick reads and I was able to read it in one day.
Highly recommend for young teenagers to read or even younger if they are able too read well.
June 17, 2023
3 stars. The Horse Girl book! LOL. I distinctly remember loving this one as a child because I was (and still am let's be honest) a Horse Girl. This was still really cute and fun but I didn't like how Jessi felt very out of character in how she was behaving and it didn't even make sense. Also, the ending wasn't my favorite but other than this this was fun for what it was.
September 8, 2024
There's a really good lesson for kids in this one, namely Hell, that's a good lesson for adults as well!
October 18, 2025
Love Mallory, but I simply do not care enough about horses for this one to have been interesting to me at all. I do like the messaging of not pressuring yourself to do things you're just not into, though!
October 1, 2019
Review on www.Audible.com please listen to this book.
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August 12, 2020Read my recap at A Year with the BSC via Stoneybrook Forever: https://www.livethemovies.com/bsc-blo...
April 29, 2021
I remember reading this as a kid! I am a Mallory through and through.
February 5, 2024
How many kids are in this riding class?
December 6, 2024
One of the better Mallory books I’ve read.
August 3, 2016
Mallory's books are very up and down for me. This was a down, unfortunately. Mal gets the chance to do one of her dreams, ride a horse, and of course, it doesn't go well. But in the beginning it's all good. Mallory & Jessi are at Mal's house, with ALL the Pike kids running around like loons of course. They try to talk about horses but get interrupted by the Pike Circus (literally, Nicky wrestles Frodo, the hamster alligator). When Mal heads out to the mailbox later that afternoon, she sees a flyer for riding lessons at a stable that just happens to be a bike ride away. I'm pretty sure Stoneybrook is bigger than that but okay. Before she can talk to her parents, we have a BSC meeting and a What Claudia Could Be Wearing.
Claudia can put together strange combinations of clothes-like one of her father's old shirts over tie-dyed tights, with a big belt and a funky vest-and look like she stepped out of a fashion magazine.
In baby-sitting news, Nina Marshall is the "child of the week" with a problem. She just started preschool and insists on carrying her "Blankie" with her everywhere. I don't remember a Blankie in their other books. (Can't remember which books those might be at the moment.) Of course, that doesn't go over well at school and the other kids make fun of her. All the sitters try to help her, psycho-analyzing her, until Dawn destroys Blankie in the dryer. Okay, it wasn't really Dawn, Mrs Marshall insisted on washing it, but Nina blames Dawn. Blankie is torn into lots of tiny bits, but it's cool, because now Nina can tuck Blankie into her pocket, her socks, her shoe, etc and no one will have to know. BSC to the rescue, once again!
Now back to Mallory and her dream come true. She convinces her parents to let her sign up for the horse riding lessons, by agreeing to pay for half of it with her baby-sitting money. She is over the moon but let down a little when she finds out Jessi can't take the lessons with her, due to her ballet classes. Mal doesn't let it get her down too much though. And she just gets a little embarrassed when she starts her classes and realizes she's the only one not in a proper English riding habit. Poor, poor Mallory. Literally, she can't help it if she's poor. Her parents keep having kids. (I'm surprised there was never a "surprise" Pike kid in any of the books.)
She tries to move past it though and just enjoy the lessons. The horses are great and she thinks she's making new friends. (Spoiler: she's not.) After each lesson, she rushes home to tell Jessi all about it, thinking her best friend will be super excited for her. (Spoiler: she's not.) Then things start to go south. Mal falls off of a horse (named Gremlin, seriously?) and freaks. She's not injured, just the wind knocked out of her, but it's enough to make her fear getting back on the horses and kills any enjoyment she was having. And of course, she can't tell her parents because money. Then, she gets invited to one of the girl's birthday party and she wears the completely wrong outfit and doesn't fit in at all.
I decided that since I didn't know the kids well I really should dress more conservatively. I was wearing a gold-and-brown kilt, a matching gold cotton sweater, and penny loafers. The second I stepped through Amber's front door I realized I had made a big mistake. First of all, most of the girls were wearing wacky bright clothes with spiked hair and tons of fun jewelry. The guys looked just as cool. I felt as if I were dressed for Sunday school.
(I'm getting a major Don't Tell Mom The Baby-Sitter's Dead vibe from the pink outfit lol.)
Mallory is pretty much over these lessons but she has to keep going and even has to participate in a show that her entire family and friends will be at. She's terrified of course but gets through the show with minimal mistakes. Her parents are super proud of her and offer to pay for more lessons but she tells them no way. Mal & Jessi make up, Jessi was jealous, blah blah. To end things, the Pike kids host a talent show, Stars of Tomorrow, in their backyard and just generally make their mother's life a living hell.
Reviewed at SeeJennRead!
Claudia can put together strange combinations of clothes-like one of her father's old shirts over tie-dyed tights, with a big belt and a funky vest-and look like she stepped out of a fashion magazine.
In baby-sitting news, Nina Marshall is the "child of the week" with a problem. She just started preschool and insists on carrying her "Blankie" with her everywhere. I don't remember a Blankie in their other books. (Can't remember which books those might be at the moment.) Of course, that doesn't go over well at school and the other kids make fun of her. All the sitters try to help her, psycho-analyzing her, until Dawn destroys Blankie in the dryer. Okay, it wasn't really Dawn, Mrs Marshall insisted on washing it, but Nina blames Dawn. Blankie is torn into lots of tiny bits, but it's cool, because now Nina can tuck Blankie into her pocket, her socks, her shoe, etc and no one will have to know. BSC to the rescue, once again!
Now back to Mallory and her dream come true. She convinces her parents to let her sign up for the horse riding lessons, by agreeing to pay for half of it with her baby-sitting money. She is over the moon but let down a little when she finds out Jessi can't take the lessons with her, due to her ballet classes. Mal doesn't let it get her down too much though. And she just gets a little embarrassed when she starts her classes and realizes she's the only one not in a proper English riding habit. Poor, poor Mallory. Literally, she can't help it if she's poor. Her parents keep having kids. (I'm surprised there was never a "surprise" Pike kid in any of the books.)
She tries to move past it though and just enjoy the lessons. The horses are great and she thinks she's making new friends. (Spoiler: she's not.) After each lesson, she rushes home to tell Jessi all about it, thinking her best friend will be super excited for her. (Spoiler: she's not.) Then things start to go south. Mal falls off of a horse (named Gremlin, seriously?) and freaks. She's not injured, just the wind knocked out of her, but it's enough to make her fear getting back on the horses and kills any enjoyment she was having. And of course, she can't tell her parents because money. Then, she gets invited to one of the girl's birthday party and she wears the completely wrong outfit and doesn't fit in at all.
I decided that since I didn't know the kids well I really should dress more conservatively. I was wearing a gold-and-brown kilt, a matching gold cotton sweater, and penny loafers. The second I stepped through Amber's front door I realized I had made a big mistake. First of all, most of the girls were wearing wacky bright clothes with spiked hair and tons of fun jewelry. The guys looked just as cool. I felt as if I were dressed for Sunday school.
(I'm getting a major Don't Tell Mom The Baby-Sitter's Dead vibe from the pink outfit lol.)
Mallory is pretty much over these lessons but she has to keep going and even has to participate in a show that her entire family and friends will be at. She's terrified of course but gets through the show with minimal mistakes. Her parents are super proud of her and offer to pay for more lessons but she tells them no way. Mal & Jessi make up, Jessi was jealous, blah blah. To end things, the Pike kids host a talent show, Stars of Tomorrow, in their backyard and just generally make their mother's life a living hell.
Reviewed at SeeJennRead!
August 10, 2023
This was kind of boring. I mean I don't mind horse books, I like the Timber Ridge Riders but not really the Saddle Club and given how obsessed the two youngest BSC members are with horses it's a given this series would get at least one. Mallory learns there's a nearby stable giving affordable riding lessons. She and Jessi decide to ask their parents for lessons. Jessi's say no right away, Mallory has charts and a whole presentation about how she could have lessons and hers agree. Mallory falls in love with a horse named Pax. But that's the only good thing about the lessons. The other kids are spoiled rich snobs and Mallory's desperate attempts to befriend them are extremely cringey. She falls off a horse twice, the second fall being quite serious. But decides to stick it out. I liked this part because it does build character. I probably would've done the same. She has to participate in a show when the classes end and she gets to ride Pax in the show. She even places sixth out of 12 not bad. The two b plots are not really connected. The Pikes have a carnival talent show for the other kids, the highlight being Pow the dog who's lazy and hilarious. The whole show was mildly amusing with plenty of pratfalls that made it bearable at least. There's the odd side plot of Nina Marshall channelling her inner Linus van Pelt and tugging a blanket around, wearing it as a shawl taking it to school. All I could picture was Linus from Peanuts. There's even a scene where Pow steps in as Snoopy and tries to steal the blanket from Nina. I mean he's a bassett hound and Snoopy is a beagle both have long floppy ears and are hounds so I really had no choice but to compare the two. Aside from a few mildly amusing moments and the connection to my favourite comic strip this one was pretty boring.
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