Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

Olivia Tuffin Books

The Secrets of Wild Hill: A Pony’s Promise

Chapter book

Old rivalries, new friends and a fresh start. Can Lottie rebuild her connection with Patch enough to get them to the championships and one step closer to her dream?

In this second gripping adventure, Lottie works hard to heal her bond with Patch, desperate to learn how to hear him. But ever since the Rhinefields Show when he galloped off, Patch has been detached and afraid…

Meanwhile, Lottie’s friendship with Felix is over and she feels betrayed. But when he texts her out of the blue, she realises how much she’s missed him. Could she trust him again? And why does he need her help? As more secrets emerge, Lottie and Felix try to make sense of the photograph he found and the old connection between their two families.

With Wild Hill up for sale, there’s still so much to overcome. Lottie knows that without Wild Hill, there will be no more time with Patch. And without Patch, there is no dream.

The Secrets of Wild Hill: Lottie’s Dream

Olivia Tuffin

Chapter book

Old rivalries, new friends and a fresh start. Can Lottie rebuild her connection with Patch enough to get them to the championships and one step closer to her dream?

With Wild Hill up for sale, there’s still so much to overcome. Lottie knows that without Wild Hill, there will be no more time with Patch. And without Patch, there is no dream.

Sunshine Stables: Poppy and the Perfect Pony

Jo Goodberry & Olivia Tuffin

Chapter book

Poppy is desperate to ride the beautiful grey pony she visits every day after school, and she’s certain she’ll get the chance at Pony Camp during the school holidays, even though she doesn’t have much riding experience. Gorgeous Misty is assigned to the snooty, dressed-to-the-nines Izzy, and Poppy gets lumpen, hairy Henry. As often happens in reality as well as in pony books, though, the prettiest pony also turns out to be the most highly strung, and the friendly, steady, Henry is a far better riding teacher – and friend. With a dramatic rescue and a happy ending for Poppy and Henry, this is a sweet little novel which will please plenty of readers, not just the ones happiest in the stable!

The reading age sits around Year 3-4 (ages 7-9) and could be enjoyed as a parent-read chapter book for a younger child too. Poppy and the Perfect Pony is a great story and I’ll be looking to add a few more of this series to our collection as we have some thoroughly horse-mad children! I am assured (by my own horse-loving reader) that the technical details stand up well, which is very important when you’re writing about someone’s passion – you don’t want your readers to pop out of the story in outrage at a misplaced bit of equipment!

The Horse Who Came Home

Olivia Tuffin

Chapter book

A thoroughly up-to-date modern horse novel, exploring the clash of a very traditional sporting world with modern concerns about animal welfare, compounded by the knife-edge of living your life in the spotlight of social media.

The personalities of the different horses shine off the page as much as main character Hannah does. However, Hannah’s at that age where she’s starting to find out that adults are not always truthful or honest, even her own family – a coming-of-age which is painful to say the least. Hannah takes some real risks to unpick the mystery she’s uncovered, to stand her ground against adults, and there’s a great deal to admire about her. She’s extremely persistent in her concern for horse welfare and willing to sacrifice a competition – maybe her future showjumping career – to save a horse and put a stop to cruelty.