Contents of blog copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2023
I've been gone a while. I started reading fanfiction to escape and I got sucked in an abyss.

I have no idea if someone else is hosting similar challenges. I just grabbed some of what I have hosted before.

Here's to a happy year of great reading
Jan2023: Not much has changed. Writing a fanfiction now O_o as well as reading but I bought 7 new books in December and hope to get those read soon. Crossing fingers about adding challenges (late!)

Monday, September 23, 2013

The Unicorn Princess by Babette Cole (#172)

What horse/pony-crazy girl wouldn't like to be a Unicorn Princess? I can already see parents in an uproar over the magic used to fight the evil Devlipeds. No, that isn't a misspelling but based on my introduction it could very well have had the other spelling.

I would have loved this book as a child, lovingly kept it with the rest of my horse books. The are four books in the series now, I would have had them all. And lucky me, my parents had no problem buying me books.

Penny's parents can't afford the riding lessons that Penny so desires (she's not an only child) but has no problem with Penny working at the stable in trade for lessons. Too bad she's so good. Her instructor tells her about a boarding school where she could really shine!

Wait a minute. Penny's parents can't afford riding lessons, how are they going to afford boarding school? Penny qualifies for a scholarship and off she goes.

Everyone is great, except for three students. Three full-pay students with wealthy parents, multiple ponies and bad attitudes. In short, spoiled-rotten, rich bullies. The head mistress would love to kick them out but their fees are what is keeping the school afloat! Dang it.

To make matters worse, the three kids are willing to work with the Devlipeds.

I loved the relationship between Penny and everyone at the school, ghosts included, and am hoping the library has the rest of the series. . . they do! I'm a happy camper.

The opinion expressed is mine. Offered purely to tell you about a book I checked out of the library. Book details and synopsis are from the publisher or the back of the book. Except for the page numbers, that came directly from the copy I read.



The Unicorn Princess
Fetlocks Hall #1
Babette Cole
9780747599319
Bloomsbury Press 
October 2010
149 pages, illustrated
paperback
Age range: 7-10
 
fiction, horse/pony related, magic, unicorns
source: public library


Grade: B

"It's not the usual kind of pony school, you know, Penny," said Bunty Bevan. "It's . . . well, how can I explain . . . other-worldly?"

Pony-mad Penny Simms is overjoyed when she wins a place at the pony school Fetlocks Hall. Now she can learn everything about horses! Penny soon finds out that she also has the chance to acquire secret knowledge about horses and discover the magical unicorn world of Equitopia. Penny's arrival at Fetlocks Hall is very timely - is she the Unicorn Princess whose appearance is predicted by the King of the Unicorns? Can she overcome the sinister threat from the Devilpeds and save the unicorns and the pony world?

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2013

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In accordance to the FTC guidelines, I must state that I make no monetary gains from my reviews or endorsements here on Book Dragon's Lair. All books I review are either borrowed, purchased by me, given as a gift, won in some kind of contest, or received in exchange for an honest review.