Campbell Books

What a great book! I don't think it could have been written any better! I wish Pride's career didn't have to end, but it all worked out. I almost cried at the end, thinking that there was no more racing Pride to look foreward to. Pride did have an amazing career, and it came together in one amazing book!

Pride runs in the Breeder's Cup Classic and beats Lord Ainsley, Brad Townsend's horse. Just about to begin his racing season as a 5-year old, Pride almost dies because of complications from colic and is retired.

Will Pride have another great year? Wonders Pride has had the greatest year of his life. He has been winning big steak races all over the country. But deadly illiness are wating. First, Ashleigh Griffen and Mike Reesse, owner of Whitebrook Farm get married but not everything turns out right. Wonder has had her second foal, Townsend Princess. But on Ashleigh and Mikes wedding party, Charlie Burke, head trainer at Whitebrook Farm, who has helped Ashleigh and Samantha Mclean train Ashleighs Wonder, one of Townsend Acres best horses in her racing days and now a great broodmare. Wonders Pride, Wonders first foal. Pride has had a great racing career soo far, but can he keep it up?, Fleet Goddess, Ashleighs special mare. Won many stake races in her racing days. Everyone is devistated about Charlie's chances. If it wasnt for him, Ashleigh would have never been a great jockey and the first female to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. But Charlies death leads to more terrible things. Second Mr.Townsend wants Pride to be put as a stallion, but Ashleigh and Samantha convince him not to but Pride comes down with colic. A terrible disease that kills more horses than any other disease. Pride is rushed to the clinic where the doctor say Pride might not last the night. But Samantha wants Pride to live more than anything. So Samantha sleeps in Prides stall all night to keep him company and help him if he needs it. But when samantha wakes she scared, she wasnt with Pride. Read this book to find out if Pride made it or not. U can find me at Blades60@aol.com

Im soo happy Pride didnt die and Im also glad he wont be over raced no more and lives at Whitebrook. Pride is a great horse. How he wins and tries his hardest in his races and fights through the colic. He is one of Wonders best offsprings I know. He really has Wonders heart to win and please the ones he loves. I kinda wish he would still race but this will be best 4 him after he had a great racing career.[...]

This is a truly rare book in children's fiction; a well-written equestrian adventure that takes you into the fast-paced world of horse racing. There are parts of this book that will move you to tears, others will have you cheering on the edge your seat - even if that seat is an armchair. Unfortunately, Harper Collins has decided to end the series abruptly after #72. With such a dedicated following and online fan base with members from all over the world, this is a classic and beloved series that has inspired many people and provided horse fans with vicarious thrills and adventure. Ashleigh saved Wonder, now it's up to you to help save Thoroughbred. Go to www.whitebrookfarm.com and join the effort.

This is one of those books that I could read every night and not get sick of. In fact, over the past three years I HAVE read it every night for weeks at a time and still love the flow of the text.

My favorite lines include, "And she gazed at the sky, the sea, the land, The waves and the caves and the golden sand. She gazed and gazed, amazed by it all, And she said to the whale, 'I feel so small.'" The word "small" is in a smaller font than the rest of the text and is so appropriate for the two page spread that includes the tiny snail (barely visible) amidst a scene of snowy mountains, forests, bears, bald eagles, the sea.

Perfect for teaching the concept that it doesn't matter how big or small you are, you ARE important and CAN be successful. As the snail sets off on his mission (I won't spoil it), the text reads "'I must not fail,' said the tiny snail." GREAT lesson!

Can you tell that we love this book?!?!?

I read 3 books every night to my almost-4 year old daughter (I love to read and share this love with her) and this is one of our very favorites. It is beautifully written, marvelously illustrated and just so very sweet. My husband loves to read it too. A book for children that makes even parents dream about travelling adventures on the back of the whale! Most highly recommended.

My 27 month old son and I really enjoy Julia Donaldson's books and this book is among our favorites. It was the first of her books that we read and we liked it so much that we thought to purchase her other books without looking at other reviews and we have not been disappointed. She is a great children's book author and knows how to keep her stories interesting and just the right length for their attention span(I started this book with my son when he was under two and instead of reading the printed text which would be too long for a two year old, I described each page since the illustrations tell the story themselves-I was able to keep his interest by adding a little bit of detail each time we read it.) The illustrations are wonderful and I feel like my son got exposed to the great vastness of this world by simply going on an adventure with the snail and the whale:-)

The story of a snail that wants to see the world and the whale that gives her a ride. Very nice story and the rhymes and the cadence make it fun to read out loud.

Again wonderful illustrations and a great story. Easy to paraphrase for a younger child and then to be reading exactly as written for the three year old.

When I first picked up this book, I was a little unsure about it. I am here to tell you that this book is worth reading. It shows a family dealing not only with cancer, but living with past lapses in judgment that sometimes come back in the middle of the night to haunt them.
It made me realize how short life is, and that we should all take a little more time and enjoy the people who are in our lives. We never know when something could happen to them.

This is simply one of the finest memoirs I've read in years; and an important book on serious topics - marriage, divorce, adoption, alcohol, and illness. Armstrong has a lot of wisdom to impart, and does so in a simple yet affecting style that will often break your heart.
Do not miss this book...it's a work of art.

I want to thank the author for following his ambitions, listening to his heart and sharing his writings with us. As we all know, there are, at times, difficult decisions to be made in life. When our choices seem both right and wrong simultaneously, the measure of our worth can possibly be revealed. This is a true story, a memoir, of deep human connections. Make a point of reading this one. You will be thanking Campbell Armstrong, also.

I just read All That Really Matters the UK version of I Hope You Have A Good Life. What a wonderful book! I would definately give more than 5 stars if I could. The book is a true story of a woman who gave up her baby girl years ago. Well she gets married, to who else, Campbell Armstrong an aspiring writer, and has kids, 3 boys, of her own. After they move to Phoenix, they end up getting divorced and Campbell moves back to Ireland where they are originally from, while Eileen stays with the boys in Phoenix. Years later Eileen finds out she has cancer. Across the world, a woman named Barbara also finds out she has cancer. She has been looking for her real mother for a long time. When she finally finds her mother and they both discover they both have cancer, the illness doesn't matter anymore because they have found each other. This is a story of loves lost and found along with lifes ups and downs. What a magnificent story. I have also read Concert of Ghosts by Campbell Armstrong. Also a descriptive book!!!

I know that you are browsing this review in hope of learning something about this book that may help you to consider reading it. I am a bit reluctant to write about the matter, and possess reservations for such a recommendation. I will present my thoughts and you may judge for yourself.

Campbell Armstrong, a long divorced and remarried author finds that his ex-wife and the mother of his sons has terminal cancer. He and his sons courageously gather to take care of this woman through the long, horrible months that follow. Armstrong writes of how he met her, their life together and glosses over the things that drove them apart, but as might anybody, he retains some shred of fondness for this woman who was his blushing bride so very long ago.

At some point in her youth, prior to the time the two meet and marry, she conceived an illegitimate child. Her parents force her to put the baby up for adoption and her parting words to this swaddling girl as she handed it to the adoption agency representative were... "I hope you have a good life." More than forty years later, this long-lost daughter manages to find her estranged and terminally ill mother and assures her that those parting words came true.

Armstrong writes with an exceptionally graceful ease and admits that he must do so to purge himself of his grief. His memoir of the family story was written as a promise to the dying woman and as you may gather, is very touching. Ironically, there are even times when a memory is shared and dear reader cannot help but to burst out laughing.

But for those of us who have lived through the experience of watching our mother die of cancer, this is a very upsetting book. There are times when these words are a bit much to bear and reflect on memories that we prefer to forget. At that point, we find ourselves putting this book down for a while, until the storm of emotions finally subside.

So to you, dear reader who finds that this subject matter may appeal to you, I recommend it heartily to enjoy a touching, true story that reflects on the frailties and triumphs of human existence. For you, dear reader who appreciate stories of a more light-hearted and happy nature, I would suggest that this may not be a story that you would enjoy.

this book starts out where samantha's step sister crashes into a rail with honor and this is the same thing that happened with her mom who is training a horse named gulfstream and then gets injured and has too die along with gulfstream. then damantha and her dad travel all over the place and finally get to townsend acers where samantha meets pride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think this book was awesome! It took you into Sammy's mind and what really happened before she came to Towsend Acres! Also, you get to she how Tor perposed to Sam! I reccomed this book to everyone it really touches your heart!

Love the book but there is one thing I do not get. Why does Samantha's dad all the sudden expect her to stay away from horses when she has been around them all her life?? If anyone has any ideas on this Please email me. ...

This was an OK book. Definitely NOT a favorite of the throughbred series. I thought it was hokey and boring. I hated the end. Why did they have to turn it into a "love story"? From the book: "Samantha threw her arms around Tor and tilted back her head to receive Tor's deep, passionate kiss. His mouth was sure on hers, and Samantha could feel the loving warmth of his embrace coursing through her body." Give me a break! OK, so maybe I'm not a love story fan.

This is the only TB super special book I have read. It really gives you a good look at Samantha's life before she came to Whitebrook (or Townsend Acres). I liked it because if there's Ashleigh books telling us about Ashliegh's childhood why can't there be a book telling us about Samantha's childhood. A MUST READ!

The Final Frontiersman is the true account of the wilderness life of Heimo Korth and his family. Heimo grew up in Wisconsin but followed a dream to live in the bush in Alaska. Heimo is a "successful" subsistence trapper and hunter in the ANWR where you can freeze at -55 in the winter and the clouds of mosquitoes torment you in the short summer. The sun disappears for over a month in the winter and there is no night in summer. Heimo and his family spend most of the year in the bush where their nearest neighbor is more than a hundred miles away--human neighbor that is; bears, wolves, wolverines, caribou, and many other kinds of animals abound. Heimo is successful in the sense that he and his family survive, all except one. Theirs is a tough life, and Heimo is a tough but likable character.

I enjoyed reading this book. The author, Heimo's cousin, has a direct, clear writing style and a good sense of pacing. The story reminded me in some ways of The Big House by George Colt: "Here is the story of my (extended) family and all my weird relatives" and like The Big House this book could have used extensive editing. We get too much detail about Heimo and his brood, who in fact are not really all that weird or exceptional after all.

The author presents this work as a meditation on the meaning of wilderness and a vital but disappearing American way of life, but he never manages to infuse these issues of wilderness and the struggle to survive with a sense of metaphysical profundity. Heimo's work and life all come off as somewhat mundane, if exceptionally lonely and uncomfortable; even deprived and brutal (Heimo kills large numbers of furbearing animals for a living). In the end, the author failed to communicate why Heimo would choose such a life, or what about it is attractive. I got the sense that neither the author, nor Heimo's family, nor Heimo himself understand Heimo. He remains a discomforting enigma.

Like The Big House, The Final Frontiersman is most interesting as an exploration of family and what it means to be involved in this most natural and troubling human institution.

There are not very many people I would like to meet, but Heimo and his family are at the top of my list. Fantastic story of some extraordinary folks.

Really painted a good picture of what life was like living in the cold Alaskan wilderness.

It is hard for me to realize that Heimo and his family live even today in the manner in which they live.The hardships they overcome daily as part of their everyday living shows the will that some people have and develop.I recommend this book highly and it has also made me realize that I am not so tough as I thought I was.

This story grips you like an Arctic winter. It is hard to put down as Heimo Korth lives a storybook life subsisting 28 years in back country of Alaska as a trapper and frontiersman. James Campbell takes you through Heimo and his family's incredible story. If you have any sense of life outdoors or appreciation for living off the land, this award winning book is for you.

Heimo and his family did it their way and Campbell's book celebrates their courage, difficulties and successes.

Corporate wife Joanna Harrison is suffering from extreme loneliness at the start of Maryann McFadden's novel. Her successful husband has just been promoted, so they will have to move again and she doesn't want to pack up her empty nest and start again in a new city. So to clear her head, she just leaves and drives south from New Jersey to Pawleys Island, South Carolina.

Grace Finelli is dying of pancreatic cancer. She doesn't want to burden her family with a deathwatch, so she has moved to Pawleys Island and rented a beach house. She needs someone to stay with her for her last six months of life. Joanna answers her ad and agrees to stay for six months to help with errands and cooking in exchange for a room. She does not know that Grace is terminally ill.

McFadden has created two delightful women for this book and then has woven their stories in, out and around each other. The final bit of detail in this tapestry is Joanna's husband, Paul, who is downsized out of a job soon after Joanna leaves home. While she is learning independence, he is learning to live with himself and to find useful ways to occupy his lonely days.

These characters are all well drawn and interesting. There are also several secondary characters that add spice to the novel: Paul and Joanna's son and daughter, Grace's family, and the people on Pawleys Island that care for loggerhead turtle nests on the beach. The parts about the turtle hatchlings reminded me of a similar book, The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe, that I read in the summer of 2002.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, originally self-published in 2006.

Armchair Interviews says: This is a great summer book-easy to get into and filled with warm-hearted emotions.

I enjoyed this, as I am especially fond of Pawleys Island. It is an easy read with a decent story - although the main character is not particularly likeable nor plausible.

But the author's comment about Amazon playing games with her (relative to the pink edition of her book) was rather irritating. After all, Amazon is making her book available to the masses - I wouldn't have found her book if not for Amazon.

How often do we feel trapped within our lives? Some, more than others. How often, instead of changing things, do we just continue on, with the attitude that this is our life and it is what it is? The Richest Season is the story of Joanna, a woman married for 25 years to Paul, a corporate head honcho, with his sights set on climbing that corporate ladder, all the way to the top. With this climb has come years of moving and loneliness for Joanna, especially now that their 2 children are grown and moving on with lives of their own. It is one fateful day, while Paul is away on yet another business trip, that Joanna decides to take matters into her own hands and change her life. Not having a clue to what her future may hold, she travels to Pawleys Island, South Carolina, a place she had fallen in love with many years ago. Once there, she soon finds a job caring for an elderly lady, Grace, in exchange for room and board.

Within a short time, Joanna finds herself getting to know the "locals", carving a niche for a new life and discovering things about herself, that bring her deep happiness. She and Grace develop a close bond and rely on one another for a deep emotional connectedness, that they are missing within their own lives. In the background, however, still lingers Paul and the life that Joanna once lived. With times of uncertainty and questions plaguing her, Joanna hangs onto her new found inner strength to guide her through to what the future holds in store.

The Richest Season reminds me of Tending Roses, by Lisa Wingate. The resemblance, to me, is the lesson that we all must make the most of our lives and not just let it pass us by. Maryann McFadden's novel is one that moved me both physically and emotionally and is not one that I will soon forget. Happiness, sadness, joy and every emotion in-between, are engulfed within this beautiful masterpiece of literature. The Richest Season is a definite not to be missed story and one that everyone should have the pleasure to read. The beautiful Pawleys Island is vividly brought to life, as is the everyday existence of Southern living. Joanna, Grace and all of the characters will find a place within your heart and become part of your life within the first few pages.
Do yourself a favor, grab a copy of The Richest Season, a nice cold drink and a wonderfully comfy spot to settle in - once you start reading, you won't want to stop!

Do not miss this novel! A true treat and one I'm going to share with all of my favorite readers! Maryann McFadden tells a detailed story which makes me want to head for Pawley's Island, SC this very moment! You will LOVE this book!!

Robin Kall
[...]

Joanna is a lonely housewife. Her husband is always traveling
for his job, and her children are grown and have moved away. Suddenly she realizes that no one needs her anymore and would they even miss her if she left? She does just that, and takes off for Pawley's Island, South Carolina. While there, Joanna spends most of her time walking the beach and thinking over her life. She meets Grace, an elderly lady who needs a live in caretaker. Joanna agrees to take the job. She doesn't realize their relationship will come to be so much more than caretaker and patient.

Grace is an elderly lady hiding from the world with secrets she refuses to tell. She lost her husband Frank a few years ago to cancer and wants nothing more to do than hide from her past. Until Joanna no one knew about her dreams of wanting to paint. It was an ambition, as a young mother she put it aside to take care of her family.

As Grace and Joanna live each day regretting past mistakes, they
forge ahead making new friends. Both learn to let go of the past and
hold onto the unforeseeable future. They grow closer and learn to
forgive themselves and their decisions, past and present.

Paul is Joanna's husband; he tries to make her come home, but soon
realizes that she's made a new life for herself. He never listened
to her and her wants. All he thought about was making more money.
Now that he's lost his job he has to learn to live again, alone. He
tries to build a bridge to connect him to Joanna, but he fails. Paul
soon realizes that he loves working in the yard, and working with
wood. Can he make a living doing these things or does having a real
job make him more of a man? When it comes time to sell the house
he's lost. He tries one last time to persuade Joanna to come home.
Does it work?

THE RICHEST SEASON is one of the best books I have ever read. The emotional rollercoaster ride it took me on was exhausting, but the highs were breathtaking. I almost didn't read THE RICHEST SEASON because I wasn't sure if I could handle the memories that came back to me with each turn of the page, but I forged ahead. I soon learned that I couldn't put the book down, and when I did, it called out to me. This is a book that you will not want to miss. Maryann McFadden has a bestseller on her hands.

Courtsey of Romance Junkies

The fact that I've been searching for this book for several years is testimonial to its timeless charm. I read this book 25 years ago and have wanted to own it for quite sometime. Now that I finally found it on Amazon, I'm delighted that I can share it with my high school children who have heard so much about the book from me over the years. The book kept me in fits of laughter and I've never viewed Shakespeare's plays the same way again. Besides being funny, the stories actually convey the real plot though presenting them in an irreverent light. There are also a lot of unnecessary footnotes included. A must read for ages 13 and above.

I read Twisted Tales many years ago and loved it. Richard Armour has made the Shakespeare plays a hilarious read. When my daughter was in the second grade, she mentioned something about Shakespeare and I said I had a very funny book about his plays which I would give to her when she was older. She insisted on reading the book then anyway, loved it and goes back to it frequently. She is now 16 and recently asked for the book again!
I actually came to the Amazon website to look for more books by Richard Armour. We definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves puns, jokes and great humor, all at the expense of the great Shakespeare plays. You can even follow all the plot twists and characters in Midsummer Nights Dream.

I read Armour's books over and over again when I was younger, they are *so* hysterical and brilliant, and I was so happy to read that there are others who remember and love his books, I felt as if I was among long-lost friends...the books must be published again!

Even my favorite bookstore can't find me this one. I hadn't thought of this book in years; my 14-year-old son had an assignment to rewrite the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, and it reminded me of this book. I must find it for him. I have always loved Shakespeare and deplore what passes for literature these days, so my recommendation for this book may seem odd, but this book is a must-read for all Shakespeare lovers. Let down your hair and enjoy it!

If you've ever enjoyed reading and/or seeing Shakespeare, or if you feel you've suffered terribly studying his plays in school, this book is for you. Going through several plays scene by scene (sometimes line by line), Armour finds humor even in the Bard's most serious moments. He also writes short introductory pieces to each play and a wonderful introduction. This book, along with Armour's "The Classics Reclassified," should be back in print to be enjoyed by the new generation and the ones that preceded it.

Cute adventure/mystery featuring the watchmaker turned amateur sleuth mouse, Hermux Tantamoq. Very lively story with plenty of action, suspense, and humor. This would be a great read-aloud. Although obviously the second book in the series, it wasn't too difficult to jump right in and follow Hermux on his adventures. I didn't feel like I was missing too much by not reading the first one yet. Recommended.

This was a cool book about the watch fixing mouse, Hermux Tantamoq! It is the second in a series about him, but it's just as good as the first book(which doesn't happen very much)and I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It all starts when Mirrin Stentrill, puts on an artshow in the museum. When Mirrin was blind, she saw many visions and so when she recovered from her blindness, she decides to paint pictures of what she saw when she was blind. But it turns out that the pictures she paints are cats- a word no one likes to use in the city of mice and rodents. Then along comes Birch Tentintrotter, an old chipmunk, a friend of Hermux's father. He tells a secret to Hermux; a secret no one knows about, and about a map he had found in a library years ago. Birch believes that cats really did exist. To prove that, Hermux, Birch, and their friend, Linka Perflinger, set off on a journey to the Kingdom of Cats. On their journey, Hermux and his friends uncover the evidence that cats once had mice as slaves. Now, Hermux doesn't know if he's doing the right thing to find the whole truth about them.
Michael Hoeye describes all his characters and the scene very carefully and really well. I like the way he gives a personality to a character and he sticks with it. He doesn't mix Hermux and Mirrin's personality together. It's just Hermux. And it's just Mirrin.
I really enjoyed this book because of the great journey that Hermux and his friends went on. It was so exciting and I really loved how Michael Hoeye made me want to keep reading more and more!

Hermux Tantamoq, a distinguished mouse who lives in the heavily populated city of Pinchester, is sailing through life day in and day out, in his watchmaking shop, until one day, an old, weather worn chipmunk missing an ear stops by, says his name is Birch Tentintrotter, and he would like to speak to Mr. Tantamoq seinor. Hermux's father had passed away five months ago, and no friend of his from college would look like that old wreck!
Meanwhile, Hermux's friend Mirrin Stentril's first art show is causing tremendous uproar. She's been painting CATS!!! Everyone (the hamsters, mice, ferrets, squirrels etc.) knows they're not real, right? Well Hermux, Birch and aviatrix Linka Perflinger are out to prove those art critics wrong!
Michael Hoeye combines detail, vocabulary and suspense in this stunning sequel to Time Stops For No Mouse, proving never to overlook history, even if you are afraid.

Watchmaker-extraordinaire and resident cheese lover, Hermux Tantamoq, is in for the surprise of his life, when his good friend, Mirrin Stentrill, reveals the scandalous work being featured in her new art show: cats! After all, mice don't want to hear about cats, even if they never actually existed, and the entire town of Pinchester is up in arms over the showing. Then a long lost stranger known as Birch Tentintrotter, a chipmunk, visits Hermux and lets him in on a very important secret: cats DID exist, and Birch has the facts to prove it. So, on a split second decision, Birch, Hermux, and he lovely aviatrix, Linka Perflinger, set out to the desert to find the lost Kingdom of Cats. While there, Hermux learns many new things about the history of mice, things different than what he was taught as a child, and he begins wondering whether it is really necessary to bring these truths forward.

As a fan of the first Hermux Tantamoq novel, TIME STOPS FOR NO MOUSE, I knew that I had to check out Michael Hoeye's latest contribution to the series, THE SANDS OF TIME, and I was not at all disappointed. Young Hermux is as adorable as ever, in his quest to find out about the lost civilization known as cats; and his sidekicks, both new and old, are perfect. The wonderful story that has been crafted will delight readers of all ages, and keep them begging for more Tantamoq. A must have!

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

*****This is copied directly from the back of the book I did not write it*****

Can Susan ever ride again?

Susan has fallen off her horses before. After all, she's been riding since she was young. But this last spill was different. Susan only broke her wrist, but she knows it could have been a lot worse for her or the horse. And it was her own fault. Now, just thinking about riding terrifies her.

Then Evening Star comes to the horse farm where Susan lives. Star's elegant gait and graceful stride show he could become a champion jumper. But he was mistreated by his former owner, and as a result he trust no one in the stableexcept Susan. Susan knows that only she can make Star a winner, but she also knows that she isn't ready to ride again...

****************
My review: A book like this really reminds me of how great an author and horse person Joanna Campbell really is. The people in the book were very believable, especially Susan and the too-perfect (but nasty) to be true Tara. For anyone that has ever had a bad fall or riding accident I would strongly recommend this book because it shows how important it is to "get back on" and keep trying. It also goes into the reality of the horse show world where not all riders are nice to their horses and many are more concerned with the price tag of their horse rather than the fact that it is an incredible animal.

Overall very well-written and believable.

This book was the best ever out of the Thoroughbred series. The characters were so real! the whole story was very realistic. Susan was teaching her intermediate class when she takes a bad fall, breaking her wrist and several ribs. She loses her nerve and refuses to ride. Her father purchases evening star from a neighbor (the same one susan sees man-handling the horse)and no one can get the horse to preform like he should. no one but susan. since she ignored star he takes a liking to her. (...) it was a wonderful book and i recommend it to any horselover.

I was given this book when I was around 8 or 9 years old, it has been many years and sadly to say my copy was lost to me a couple years ago. It is one of my favorite books and I am currently awaiting my chance to read it again.

This book is about overcoming everyday fears, growing pains and facing yourself as well as the world, plus its about a horse..how could you go wrong :)

Great read for any horse lover.

I discovered this book accidentally; I was looking through a bookstore for books, and my friend's mom bought it for me. I never have ridden a horse, but I guess it's always been a childhood fantasy of mine. I don't know why I grabbed it, but I've read it so many times that it is falling apart and I need a new copy.

This book is not really related to Joanna Campbell's Thoroughbred novels. It involves a horse, but that's about it. The main character, Susan, is forced to deal with many issues that many young girls face in their lives, especially an uncontrollable fear, and feeling alone at school. After Susan's best friend moves away, she feels all alone, with only her parents' stable and her duties there to distract her. She teaches horse-jumping classes, and one day she is so distracted by her worst enemy that she makes a mistake. The horse she is riding freaks out, and Susan is thrown off the sadle, and her arm breaks. She uses her broken arm as an excuse never to ride a horse again. But, through a new horse that her father buys, named Star, and a new friend, Susan learns that she must put her fears of falling off another horse aside, and work to prove to the world, and to herself, that she is capable of anything.

This book is just as good as any other Thoroughbred book and that's saying a lot! If there's a seller selling it new or used, jump to the chance. It's totally worth the extra money. If your collecting Thoroughbred books, this one is a very important one. Hope you like it as much as I do...

This is another really good and important book in the Thoroughbred series. This book is about Shinning, half sister to the famous and one of the greatest racehorses of all times, Ashleigh Wonder. Shinning came to the farm abused and neglected. Samantha, the main character, turns Shinning around. Then Shinning is given to her. But what if Shinning helps a little girl get better and her parents want to buy the first horse Samantha ever owned?

In the book Wonders Sister, we are introduced to Mandy, and Shinning, half sister to Ashleighs Wonder. Samantha and her dads girlfriend Beth goes to a marathon where Beth works to help disabled children. Samantha Mclean and Tor Nelson, Samanthas boyfriend invite some of the disabled children to ride at Tor's father jumping stable. Theres when Samantha finds Mandy, one of the disabled children. Mandy is usless on her legs but once she is on a horse, she is a pro. Mandy rides Butterball one of Tors ponys and the two where perfect. And we meet Shinning when Mike Reese, Ashleighs Griffens husband. They both own Whitebrook, a large training and breeding stable for racing thoroughbreds. Mike bought Shinning at an auction and the only reason he bought her was because she was Ashleighs Wonder hafl sister. There sire was Townsend Victor. But Shinning was just skin and bones all over and a rag doll like. So Mike and Ashleigh gave Shinning to Samantha. When Samantha brings Mandy over to see Whitebrook farm and Shinning, the filly sure has changed in looks. Shinnings coat shone in the morning sun and she ganged weight. But when Mandy and Shinning see eachother, it was close to love at first sight. Months have past and Mandy has been doing much much better with her leg and riding. But when Mandys parents come for a visit, Samantha is stuck. Mandys parents want to buy the only horse Samantha has ever owned. They say Mandy has been getting alot better because of Shinning. Will Samantha give up her horse to someone who needs her more or will Samantha keep Shinning all to herself. Find out yourself. If u want to talk, Im at Blades60@aol.com

Wonder's Sister focuses on a disabled girl named Mandy who finds strength and inspiration in an aspiring racehorse named Shining. This presents a conflict for Samantha; Shining is the first horse she has ever been able to call her own. Will Shining's future will be with Mandy or on the racecourse with Samantha? Another enjoyable book in this series. Unfortunately, Harper Collins has decided to end the series abruptly after #72. With such a dedicated following and online fan base with members from all over the world, this is a classic and beloved series that has inspired many people and provided horse fans with vicarious thrills and adventure. Ashleigh saved Wonder, now it's up to you to help save Thoroughbred. Go to www.whitebrookfarm.com and join the effort.

Although this book took a few chapters to get me interested, when I got there, I was hooked! I couldn't put the book down.
The decision Samantha had to make between keeping Shining or giving him to Mandy, a disabled girl was so realistic and I had no clue which one I wanted to happen. In the end, like all TB books, everything turned out good. I am becoming a little disappointed that the book wasn't on racing that much. But still, a well done job. I wish that Mandy would become the next made character because I think she is courageous and inspiring. I can't wait to read number 13. Bravo, Joanna Campbell!

This book was okay. Samantha was really facing a delimma, deciding what to do. The little disabled girl's parents insist on buying Shining, but Sam is hesitant. Must Sam give up her first horse so soon?

The only problem is that these books had no variety after Wonder. It is all about "can a rebllious horse make to to the big races" and "does blah blah have to give up this horse?" Then magically the horses stay with the owners and the rebels become champions. Yawn.