Tag Olivia Tuffin

The Secrets of Wild Hill: A Pony’s Promise

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The Secrets of Wild Hill: A Pony’s Promise
Olivia Tuffin
Nosy Crow

This second book in the series begins in late July when the summer holidays have started. Lottie is lying on her back in a field near her home mulling over what has led to her relationship with her beloved Patch being damaged as well as that between herself and her friend Felix. The boy, so she’s discovered, has been reporting to his grandfather, the thoroughly malicious Ralph McCavendish, on her family’s plans for Wild Hill. But then Felix sends her a message requesting that the two of them meet for a talk. She agrees and when he tells her of a strange happening involving his grandfather, she decides to forgive him.

The two then focus their thoughts on training their respective ponies for the forthcoming events. However Felix continues talking about family matters to Lottie as well, and it’s evident to her that their families have in the past been more closely intertwined than either Felix or Lottie knew previously and that Lottie’s grandmother, Annie, may well know what happened.
Add to this, her worries about re-building her bond with Patch, plus the concern that her parents appear determined to sell Wild Hill: Lottie has a lot to contend with.

Fortunately for her though, Annie is always ready to offer her support and encouragement and this means that Lottie is determined to fight tooth and nail for what she has set her sights on. Can big brother Harry do anything to rescue Wild Hill?
What about the entrance exam that her Dad is eager Lottie retakes? And what is going on with Issy, another member of the riding team?

An intriguing story that immediately grips the reader, keeps you involved, rooting for Lottie and her beloved Wild Hill to the final page. I can’t wait for the next book The Lost Horse coming soon.

The Secrets of Wild Hill: Lottie’s Dream

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The Secrets of Wild Hill: Lottie’s Dream
Olivia Tuffin
Nosy Crow

I first came across Olivia Tuffin’s horse stories when I was sent a copy of The Horse Who Danced and absolutely loved it, so I expected a lot from this one. The author has a great deal of knowledge about horses and eventing and she carefully knits together factual information and fiction, the result being another terrific book – one that I couldn’t put down.

The protagonist, Lottie has deliberately failed the entrance exam to an elite school in order to spend more time at Wild Hill, the livery yard belonging to her grandparents; it’s there that her beloved pony, Patch, lives. However, her father, still set on his daughter going to Telsteads instead of the local comprehensive where’s she happy, has appealed for her to be allowed to retake the entrance exam. He also hopes that with support from Lottie’s mother, he can persuade her aging parents to sell Wild Hill, something else that deeply troubles Lottie.

On a visit to her Granny, Lottie takes Patch out and she has an encounter with another rider , slightly older that herself who introduces himself as Felix McCavendish and they have a short talk. Felix is the grandson of Ralph McCavendish, her family’s enemy, owner of the adjoining yard. A tentative friendship forms between the two – something that horrifies her gran – and Felix encourages Lottie to join the local pony club, her main aim being to compete at Badminton Grassroots. Then comes news that her grandad has been involved in a serious accident and is in hospital. Lottie’s parents call her older brother Harry to return from Florida where he’s pursuing his own riding career and instead help at Wild Hill. Unfortunately for Lottie, Harry agrees with their parents that it’s a liability and they should put it on a firm footing and then sell it.

Lottie makes it onto the Pony Club team, participates in a riding competition and Patch amazes everyone when he sails over the advanced jumps. In the meantime her brother has come under they influence of Ralph McCavendish who has promised that he can ride one of his horses, something that greatly troubles Lottie. She’s determined to work out what exactly is going on before it’s too late; but can she? And can she completely trust Felix? What happened long ago between her family and the McCavendish family that is threatening her future? So many questions …

An absolute cracker of a story and the final page sets the stage nicely for the story to continue in a sequel. I hope we don’t have too long to wait to see Lottie continuing to follow her dreams. There’s no need to be a horse fanatic to enjoy this, it will appeal to those who enjoy a good mystery story.

The Horse Who Danced

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The Horse Who Danced
Olivia Tuffin
Nosy Crow

Iona lives with her mum and stepdad on the Kestrel estate. Iona helps her mum run the pony trekking centre and despite money being tight their life is a happy one. However, when the owner of the estate dies, Iona’s family are pressurised to sell their cottage and stables to the new owners – stables that have long been in her family’s care and which Iona’s mum has no wish to sell.

Horse loving Iona has a connection with her dressage horse, Jinks, and longs for stardom but money has always prevented her from participating in the big competitions. But then local dressage star, Jessica Jefferies, asks that her own injured horse be kept at her mum’s livery while he recovers and goes on to offer to train Iona. What more could she want? However, as she becomes part of a new, much more exciting world, Iona starts feeling resentful of her family’s struggles but not everything is as it appears in this new friendship. We also meet Oscar, a good friend to Iona and another rider, April, from a well-to-do family, Iona’s rival at events whom it’s clear Iona doesn’t get along with.

All the while pressure is being increased on Iona’s mum to sell the stables and as Iona’s successes mount some unexpected and upsetting incidents take place.:Are these all connected? Iona and Oscar are determined to discover who is behind the troubles that upset the girl’s very security.
The story draws to a life-threatening climax, followed by a confession and we leave Iona feeling differently about her own family set-up and about April. Finally both Iona and Jess are full of hope about the future.

With themes of friendship, family loyalty, fame and betrayal, a fascinating cast of characters and a powerful narrative, Olivia Tuffin’s latest book will be enjoyed by older KS2 readers, horse mad or not.

The Horse who Came Home / The Lost Bear Cub

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The Horse who Came Home
Olivia Tuffin
Nosy Crow

Hannah and her elder sister, Millie live at Heartwood, a pony farm and stables. Their dad, an ex-showjumping champion, trains and sells on only the most exclusive ponies; though in reality this means he leaves much of the day to day business to a young man, Ashley, who Hannah increasingly distrusts, despite him being the son of the highly trustworthy old Johno.

Already we see that this is no run-of-the mill pony book merely about winning rosettes and cups at gymkhanas and championships – although that is part and parcel of the story. So too is the fact that film makers, Horsetalk, want to make a six-part documentary about Heartwood.

Then Hannah rescues a dirty, thin pony, Bella, which seems to recognise their stableyard and she suspects her father recognises the pony although he denies it. However nobody appears to want to help care for the pony so Hannah decides to do so herself. She’s supported in her endeavour by her pal, ace photographer, Freddie and riding friend, Gaby.

Unlike pony books back in the day when the young me loved reading them, the internet, mobiles and social media play an important part in this one. There’s a fair bit of wheeling and dealing as Hannah discovers the further she digs into Bella’s history and she realises that Heartwood stables is not the perfect place she had always believed it to be. Can she unscramble what is going on and if so, where will her loyalties lie – with her family or with the horses she loves?

A gripping read, that includes a rescue, some heart-breaking revelations for Hannah and Millie, and an optimistic ending for the sisters.

The Lost Bear Cub
Holly Webb, illustrated by David Dean
Little Tiger

Lucy is thrilled to be spending her summer holiday in Canada, staying with cousins and her Uncle Pete and Auntie Cass. She’s fearful though, at the possibility of encountering bears, cougars, coyotes and eagles on their first hike and even more so when she goes camping with her relations, but without her parents.

Wandering along the waterside alone at the campsite looking for pebbles, Lucy suddenly has the feeling that she’s being watched. There just a few metres away, she sees a small black bear and thinks it’s most likely a cub that’s got separated from its mother.

That same evening after a pretty wet end to their camping expedition, Lucy looks through an upstairs window of her cousin’s house and there she spies a bear trying to drink from the water feature in the grounds – a small bear that looks familiar. Now it’s definitely the bear she feels frightened for, not herself. The trouble is, nobody else believes her.

The following day, after an exchange of feelings between Lucy and her cousin Kitty, the girls have a narrow escape from a cougar after which the girls see a very angry adult black bear that starts taking swipes at the big cat. Some very scary moments follow but there’s not just one, but two happy reunions, one human and one ursine.

With several nail-biting episodes, some of which are shown in David Dean’s black and white illustrations, Holly Webb’s latest story offers something rather different from her cat and dog books. Confident new solo readers will enjoy Lucy’s adventures on the wild side..