Thoroughbred #01 A Horse Called Wonder
by Joanna Campbell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Joanna CampbellEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1991-08-15
ISBN: 0061061204
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: HarperEntertainment
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780061061202
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Thoroughbred #01 A Horse Called Wonder
Book Review: "Now We Can Really Dream..."
Summary: 4 Stars
So begins the popular YA series that eventually spanned seventy-two books, as well as several spin-offs and special editions, all centered on the bond between a girl and her horse. The "Thoroughbred" series went through several protagonists, all of whom grew to adulthood over the course of their personal story arcs, but it all starts with Ashleigh Griffen, a twelve year old girl who has moved with her family to a horse-breeding farm in Kentucky.
The move has taken place after an epidemic kills several of the horses at the Griffen breeding farm (though contrary to what the blurb says, Ashleigh's favourite mare Stardust did not die, but was sold) forcing Ashleigh's parents to sell the surviving horses and find new jobs as breeding managers at Clay Townsend's stables. Ashleigh is miserable, and determined not to ever care about a horse again - until of course, a mare that remains her of Stardust gives birth to a sickly foal. Ashleigh is instantly enamored, and takes responsibility for slowly nursing it back to health.
That's not her only challenge: lurking at the back of her mind is the knowledge that Wonder is not her horse, but Mr Townsend's, a man who needs to be impressed by Wonder's progress or else she'll be sold on. Ashleigh pours all her energy into her personal crusade of improving Wonder, but it's at the cost of her schoolwork and social life. Furthermore, Ashleigh has to cope with the derision that she faces when sharing her dreams of becoming an exercise rider, and the presence of the antagonistic Brad Townsend, son of the farm's owner.
As the first chapter in an ongoing series, there's nothing that is too unpredictable about "A Horse Called Wonder." Worries about whether the sickly foal will pull through or whether Wonder will get sold are pretty much allayed the moment that they crop up. Obviously with several more books to come, neither one of these fears will come to pass. But the journey that gets us there, as foreseeable as it is, is still one worth taking if you are the young, female target audience of this series.
More aligned on the business of horses (breeding, training and racing) than other horse-related series, such as The Saddle Club and Pony Pals, Campbell shows her knowledge of the subject matter throughout the book, whether the characters are dealing with illness, training or the buying or selling of horses. It lends a weight and authenticity to the proceedings that raise the stakes and make Ashleigh's experiences that much more realistic.
Ashleigh is a great young protagonist; not exactly a tomboy, but certainly uninterested in clothing and boys. She hates shopping and math, and like many pony-crazed girls, has no problems with mucking out stables or rubbing down large smelly animals. Even better (and rarer in YA books), Ashleigh is surrounded by a strong support system: loving and sensible parents, loyal friends, friendly siblings and a gruff retired stable-hand who becomes Ashleigh's teacher and advisor in taking care of Wonder. There is of course one "enemy" at work; Brad Townsend, but he's not an enemy to be defeated, just a nuisance to be sensibly ignored. Likewise, none of the characters are static: they grow up and change throughout the series; Ashleigh isn't a twelve-year old forever, and in fact she gets married and has a child in successive books.
At the centre of the story is the bond between Ashleigh and Wonder, and it's heartwarming throughout. Ashleigh's big heart and determination in saving Wonder's life is still the crux of the story, and perhaps its strength lent something to the series' longetivity, even when Ashleigh and Wonder themselves had ceased to be the protagonists.
Only the first fourteen books in this series, as well as a couple of special editions, were written by Joanna Campbell before the series was taken over by ghost-writers. Naturally it is these which are considered the superior stories, and luckily for those who might be daunted at the sheer amount of titles in this series, the first fourteen installments create a complete story that ends definitively. No need to carry on reading a never-ending trail of books with no resolution, and as horse-related stories for young girls go, "Thoroughbred" are certainly some of the best.
Summary of Thoroughbred #01 A Horse Called Wonder
Ashleigh wouldn't care about anything, ever again.
Ashleigh Griffen swore she'd never give her heart to another horse -- not after a terrible disease wiped out her family's breeding farm, along with Ashleigh's favorite mare, Stardust.
Now the Griffens are starting over as breeding managers at Townsend Acres, and Ashleigh's sure she is going to hate living there.
Then a small, sickly foal is born -- a beautiful copper filly that looks like Stardust. No one thinks the foal will live or that it's worth trying to save. No one but Ashleigh.
Can one girl's love alone work miracles?
Read Thoroughbred and experience the love and friendship between a determined girl and a very special filly.
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