User:Propaniac/bsc/Mallory and the Dream Horse

Mallory and the Dream Horse is the fifty-fourth book in the original series.

Main plot
Mallory convinces her parents to spring for half the cost of riding lessons when an advertisement comes in the mail. At her first lesson, she meets her dream horse, a white Arabian named Pax. When Mallory falls off of a different horse, she learns that she doesn't really like riding horses as much as she thought she would. She still enjoys riding Pax, but no other horses.

Mallory also has trouble making friends in her riding class, due to the fact that they all attend a private school together, and have full riding habits. Mallory does not, because she has 7 brothers and sisters. When she tries to tell her problems to her best friend, Jessi, she gets the cold shoulder. Eventually, she realizes that Jessi is jealous and they make up.

At the end of Mallory's eight week session of riding lessons, they put on a horse show. Mallory gets 6th place (out of 12), and her parents offer her more lessons. She turns them down, realizing she would much rather read about horses then ever fall off one again.

Secondary plot
The girls in the Baby-sitters Club sit for the Marshalls. Nina has started preschool and is having trouble leaving her blankie behind. Dawn saves the day when she pulls Blankie out of the washing machine and it falls apart, allowing Nina to keep a piece of it with her at all times.

Other plot information
The Pike children put on a talent show called Stars of Tomorrow.

Clients in this book

 * Nina and Eleanor Marshall

Places in this book

 * Kendallwood Farm
 * Stoneybrook General Hospital

Trivia/continuity

 * Mallory claims that when she asked for pierced ears, a new wardrobe, and a haircut all she wanted was the pierced ears. However, in Mallory and the Trouble with Twins, she really wanted the haircut as well.
 * It is mentioned that Becca Ramsey and Charlotte Johanssen refuse to join the talent show after their experiences with the Little Miss Stoneybrook pageant; however, only Charlotte joined in that competition.
 * Mallory and Jessi talk about the movie The Little Princess at one point, but it seems rather unlikely that they would both be more familiar with a 1939 Shirley Temple movie than with the Frances Hodgson Burnett book that the movie was based on.

Pop culture references

 * Misty of Chincoteague
 * Black Beauty
 * The Black Stallion
 * The Little Princess
 * The Nutcracker
 * Sesame Street
 * Lassie