Pony problem by Yvette Poshoglian

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Ella and Olivia series. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN: 9781742837987
When seven year old Ella and her younger sister Olivia accompany Ella's friend Zoe to her pony competition, things quickly get out of hand when Ella finds herself on a pony and is accidentally included in the equestrian events. Who will come to the rescue when things start to go wrong? Will this be Ella's dream come true or her worst nightmare?
This is a slim story for emergent female readers who love horses. Enormous font, liberally scattered illustrations and lacy patterned edges to the pages would possibly add to the appeal of the title for the very young child. Despite difficult words such as equestrian and dismounts, they are minimal in number so the series would not provide an overwhelming challenge in terms of vocabulary. Themes of horse-riding, friendship, envy, bravery and winning and losing are positive and age appropriate for the target audience.
Jo Schenkel

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