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Saddle Club #5
Trail Mates
Carole, Stevie, and Lisa, the three members of The Saddle Club, are totally devoted to horses—and to each other. But for Carole, it seems as if there's not much she can count on except riding and the friendship of The Saddle Club. Ever since her mother died, Carole has urged her dad to go out on dates. But now she's afraid that he's getting serious with a woman whom she isn't ready to think of as a stepmother. Meanwhile, Carole's getting the last thing she needs: unwanted attention from a boy. Scott will do anything—even muck out the stables—to get near her. And Stevie and Lisa aren't much help. They're busy modeling for a riding catalog—and finding out that modeling's not all it's cracked up to be!
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
17 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
About the author
Bonnie Bryant
385 books200 followersAmerican author of children's books. She is best known for creating the intermediate horse book series The Saddle Club, which was published from October 1988 until April 2001. The Saddle Club chronicled the adventures of thirteen-year-old Lisa Atwood and twelve-year-olds Stephanie "Stevie" Lake and Carole Hanson. The series was static in time; the girls never aged in 101 books, 7 special editions, and 3 Inside Stories.
Bonnie Bryant also wrote two spin-off series: Pony Tails, aimed at beginning readers, and Pine Hollow, aimed at teenage readers. The 16 Pony Tails books followed the lives of eight-year-olds May Grover, Corey Takamura, and Jasmine James. Pine Hollow featured Carole, Lisa, Stevie, and their new friends in a series set four years after The Saddle Club. Unlike The Saddle Club, Pine Hollow conformed to a realistic timeline. The 17 books took place over the span of less than a year. Later a television show called The Saddle Club, based on the books, was filmed in Australia.
Bonnie Bryant wrote at least 38 The Saddle Club books and 2 Pine Hollow books herself; after that they were taken over by a team of ghostwriters, a common practice in long-running children's book series. Ghostwriters for the Saddle Club and Pine Hollow books included Caitlin Macy (sometimes credited as Caitlin C. Macy), Catherine Hapka, Sallie Bissell, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Helen Geraghty, Tina deVaron, Cat Johnston, Minna Jung, and Sheila Prescott-Vessey.
Bonnie Bryant is also the author of many novelizations of movies, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Karate Kid, and Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, written under her married name, B.B. Hiller. She also collaborated in the ghostwriting of The Baby-sitters Club Super Special #14: BSC in the USA, published under the name of its creator, Ann M. Martin.
Bonnie Bryant was born and raised in New York City. She met her husband, Neil W. Hiller, in college, where they both worked on the campus newspaper. They had two sons, Emmons Hiller and Andrew Hiller. Neil Hiller died in 1989. Many of Bonnie's books are dedicated to him.
***from wikipedia.org
Bonnie Bryant also wrote two spin-off series: Pony Tails, aimed at beginning readers, and Pine Hollow, aimed at teenage readers. The 16 Pony Tails books followed the lives of eight-year-olds May Grover, Corey Takamura, and Jasmine James. Pine Hollow featured Carole, Lisa, Stevie, and their new friends in a series set four years after The Saddle Club. Unlike The Saddle Club, Pine Hollow conformed to a realistic timeline. The 17 books took place over the span of less than a year. Later a television show called The Saddle Club, based on the books, was filmed in Australia.
Bonnie Bryant wrote at least 38 The Saddle Club books and 2 Pine Hollow books herself; after that they were taken over by a team of ghostwriters, a common practice in long-running children's book series. Ghostwriters for the Saddle Club and Pine Hollow books included Caitlin Macy (sometimes credited as Caitlin C. Macy), Catherine Hapka, Sallie Bissell, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Helen Geraghty, Tina deVaron, Cat Johnston, Minna Jung, and Sheila Prescott-Vessey.
Bonnie Bryant is also the author of many novelizations of movies, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Karate Kid, and Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, written under her married name, B.B. Hiller. She also collaborated in the ghostwriting of The Baby-sitters Club Super Special #14: BSC in the USA, published under the name of its creator, Ann M. Martin.
Bonnie Bryant was born and raised in New York City. She met her husband, Neil W. Hiller, in college, where they both worked on the campus newspaper. They had two sons, Emmons Hiller and Andrew Hiller. Neil Hiller died in 1989. Many of Bonnie's books are dedicated to him.
***from wikipedia.org
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 14, 2015
I had collected and read almost every single Saddle Club book out, up to when I was 18 or so, even though I was getting a bit old for them. I started reading them at the public library in Amherst when I was 12-ish, and never could believe that such a thing had existed, and I hadn't known about it.
I was so very Stevie, but wished I was Carole with her 'own' horse. I rode at Bellamy Farms, my real-life Pine Hollow, and dreamed every day of living the dream.
Dreams sometimes become reality, but they are never as picture perfect as in the storybooks, but these books will remain in my memory as the hopes of one little girl, and a time-capsule of memories.
Good times, good times.
I was so very Stevie, but wished I was Carole with her 'own' horse. I rode at Bellamy Farms, my real-life Pine Hollow, and dreamed every day of living the dream.
Dreams sometimes become reality, but they are never as picture perfect as in the storybooks, but these books will remain in my memory as the hopes of one little girl, and a time-capsule of memories.
Good times, good times.
September 4, 2014
My god I love this series almost as much now as I did when I was like 9. It is so cheesily unrealistic and populated with wonderful people who understand each other in the end no matter what has gone wrong. It's such a nice break from the real world.
March 6, 2009
A interesting book.
August 4, 2011
A good series for horse crazy young teens. I loved it when I was younger.
February 29, 2012
This is such a cool book (if you are in to horses) and if you do love horses then the Saddle club series is for you!!!!!!
April 9, 2014
i laughed so hard when i read this. it always kept me wanting to read more. wanting to continue and see what would happen next.
August 18, 2015
pretty good. not the best saddle club book but it was ok
September 14, 2017
As usual, the book has a couple plots that twist in and around each other. The first one is Carole's new admirer, a boy from out of town called Scott. The second is Carole's father's new girlfriend, Lynne, who Carole doesn't quite get along with. The last plot is Stevie and Lisa's plans on becoming models!
The Scott plot was not one I really enjoyed, as I felt that he's treated unfairly - especially by Carole - for most of the book. And he's such a sweetheart! The Lynne plot was also dubious, since I believe it hasn't even been a year since they lost Carole's mother and he's already dating?! Just in book one it had been six months and Carole thinks he should be dating again - feels unrealistic and far too soon. But it works out in the end, I guess.
The modeling plot was my favourite and by for the most fun and the funniest. Bonnie Bryant brings an interesting twist on what would usually have been a rather cliché story. I love the twist at the end and the final build-up to their visit to the Dude Ranch.
Fun, but not as good as the previous books, and perhaps not as good as the following ones either. I suppose I shall see.
The Scott plot was not one I really enjoyed, as I felt that he's treated unfairly - especially by Carole - for most of the book. And he's such a sweetheart! The Lynne plot was also dubious, since I believe it hasn't even been a year since they lost Carole's mother and he's already dating?! Just in book one it had been six months and Carole thinks he should be dating again - feels unrealistic and far too soon. But it works out in the end, I guess.
The modeling plot was my favourite and by for the most fun and the funniest. Bonnie Bryant brings an interesting twist on what would usually have been a rather cliché story. I love the twist at the end and the final build-up to their visit to the Dude Ranch.
Fun, but not as good as the previous books, and perhaps not as good as the following ones either. I suppose I shall see.
September 30, 2024
The blurb for this book was much worse than the actual book. It was a lot more "horsey" than the blub suggested. Horses featured here included Commanche, noise-phobic Patch, and Samson.
I usually don't give anything higher than three stars to a Saddle Club book that has a lot of human action in it. However, as a reading experience, this was a lot of fun. I've had a terrible weekend, so this book turned out to be just the stress-reliever I needed.
There was some really good dialogue for a book aimed for 12 year olds. The advice about dealing with people who want to date you, but you don't want to date, was spot on. There were also some funny bits about Stevie and Lisa working for a riding apparel catalogue.
Veronica seems to have gone back to being the baddie that a good series needs.
This book nicely sets up for the next one.
I usually don't give anything higher than three stars to a Saddle Club book that has a lot of human action in it. However, as a reading experience, this was a lot of fun. I've had a terrible weekend, so this book turned out to be just the stress-reliever I needed.
There was some really good dialogue for a book aimed for 12 year olds. The advice about dealing with people who want to date you, but you don't want to date, was spot on. There were also some funny bits about Stevie and Lisa working for a riding apparel catalogue.
Veronica seems to have gone back to being the baddie that a good series needs.
This book nicely sets up for the next one.
February 21, 2019
Very sweet story about direct communication in some very relatable situations - parents dating or letting down a romantic interest. And there’s a usual quick adventure when one of the girls gets to save the day on a runaway horse.
June 26, 2018
Read the Norwegian edition, out of nostalgia.
January 9, 2019
Modeling job, dance and plane tickets
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2019
Milé, zábavné, místy trochu jednodušší čtení. Jakože i když je to určeno pro dospívající dívky, letos si dávám re-read téhle serie a strašně moc vzpomínám, jak jsem to četla poprvé. Ach ty časy!
September 26, 2020
Poor Carole is faced with the fact that her dad is seeing someone and she's not sure she likes it. As someone who also has a widower father I could relate to this.
September 21, 2023
Cute light hearted nostalgia read
December 6, 2023
A little bit meh - not much happens in this one. It felt like (1) all the girls will get to have their turn at a romance and it was Carole's, and (2) it was build-up for the next book.
September 28, 2019
The One Where They Just Shop
Sadly, this installment in the series is disappointing, the first misstep of Bryant's, as the first 4 were wonderful. Trail Mates sees the girls doing more shopping and dancing than actual horse business, and it's quite dull.
Sadly, this installment in the series is disappointing, the first misstep of Bryant's, as the first 4 were wonderful. Trail Mates sees the girls doing more shopping and dancing than actual horse business, and it's quite dull.
October 30, 2007
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June 8, 2013E
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews