Spellbound Ponies: Magic and Mischief

Olivia moves from London to the countryside and is delighted to discover there are riding stables nearby. Her mother enquires about lessons, but sadly, the stables are long abandoned. However, when Olivia explores on her own, she meets a ghost called Eliza and a stable full of ghostly ponies.

Eliza explains how she tragically died in a riding accident two centuries earlier. Utterly devasted, her mother asked the Pemberley Witch to cast a spell, binding the ponies in time and making them behave badly forever more. The enchantment can only be broken by two brave girls, who must encourage each pony to mend their naughty ways so they can return to the land of the living.

The first in a series of magical pony adventures, this tale features Bad Bess, a highway horse. Every night, she dons her cape and mask, and gallops off to rob a carriage, returning with a bag full of booty. Olivia and Eliza tell her that stealing is wrong, but Bess thinks it’s fun, so how can she be persuaded to give up her life of crime?

With black-and-white illustrations throughout each chapter, this magical ghost story with mixed heritage characters will delight young, independent readers.