Black Woolly Pony / White Chalk Horse

This 'two in one' book brings together two of Jane Gardam's fine pieces of writing for the under-tens. Strong female characters emerge from both stories: Bridget, the Yorkshire girl in the first who, riding her beloved William, puts herself at risk when it seems the baby her mother is expecting will be born early; and Susan who is also anxious to save a horse, not her own this time, but the chalk one cut into the side of the hill above her village. Both stories are subtle but powerful pieces of characterisation drawn through the perfectly chosen words the author uses for dialogue. A must for any Junior classroom and excellent value, too.