About the author
Elizabeth Lindsay had an adventurous childhood: she used to ride the Corporation horses bareback in their field in Southampton, where she grew up. She didn’t fall off the horses, but extended operations to bullocks, which wasn’t such a success, as she was bucked off. Road investigations weren’t a success either: she explored a hole in the road and ended up with a cut that needed 14 stitches. She has a much less adventurous life now, and no longer rides or explores holes. After training as a teacher at the Central School of Speech and Drama, she became a puppeteer in the TV series Pipkins, playing Topov the monkey, and Octavia the ostrich. She wrote two series of Heggarty Heggarty, and has written for The Hoobs.
Elizabeth Lindsay has written two pony series: the first, the Midnight Dancer series, is a traditional pony series, where the heroine, Mory, gets a pony and then has a series of adventures. Midnight Dancer was based on her own first pony, acquired as an adult, Hot Shot. She lived for a while in Wales, which provided the background for the books. Her more recent series, Magic Pony, follows the modern fashion of combining fantasy with ponies.
Finding the books
All the Midnight Dancer books are out of print, but are easy to find, and not at all expensive. The Magic Pony series is still in print.
Sources and links
Elizabeth Lindsay’s website
A profile of Elizabeth Lindsay
Series
Midnight Dancer series
Midnight Dancer
To Catch a Thief
Running Free
Fireraisers
Joyriders
Ride by Night
The Magic Pony Series
A Dream Come True,
The Lost Rabbit
Night-time Adventure
Natty Saves the Day
Ghost in the House
The Champion Jumper
Worst Week at School
Seaside Detectives
Snow Bandits
Thieves on Wheels
Pet Rescue
Summer Dreams
Bibliography (pony books only)
Midnight Dancer
Scholastic, London, 1993, illus Linda Boddy, 154 pp.
Mory is thrilled when she finds a pony which doesn’t seem to belong to anyone, and she is determined to keep it. However, the pony does have an owner: the nasty Mr Lewis.
Midnight Dancer: To Catch a Thief
Scholastic, London, 1993, illus Linda Boddy, 154 pp.
“Mory, Josh and Cara are convinced that Royden Jones is a burglar, but how can they prove it? When it looks as though Royden is about to steal Mory’s mother’s sapphire nechlace, Mory has to rely on her wits, and Midnight Dancer, to save the day.”
Midnight Dancer: Running Free
Scholastic, pb, 1995. 177 pp. Illus Linda Boddy.
“It’s an exciting time for Mory and Midnight Dancer. They’re preparing for the Penyworlod Show, and Mory is determined to show Caroline Spencer that Dancer is the best pony, and the best jumper, in the whole world! But preparation for the show is overshadowed when a dog starts worrying Uncle Glyn’s sheep. Mory must get to the bottom of it, and prove that Lionel’s new dog Ben is not guilty.”
Midnight Dancer: Fireraisers
Scholastic, pb, 1995, 170 pp. Illus Linda Boddy.
“Mory’s finding life at the farm pretty interesting this summer. First there’s Felix. Mory knows he’s bad news – a liar and a troublemaker. Then there are the backpackers, camping on Uncle Glyn’s farm. They must follow his strict rules, otherwise they’re out. But one of them, Hickman, doesn’t care about rules. And he loves playing with fire… “
Midnight Dancer: Joyriders
Scholastic, pb, 1997, 180 pp. Illus Linda Boddy
“Things are looking bad for Mory. Her old enemy, Caroline, has got her twin cousins to stay and the three of them seem determined to make Mory’s life a misery. However, when one of the twins’ tricks goes wrong, it’s down to Mory and Midnight Dancer to face the danger and get them out of trouble.”
Midnight Dancer: Ride by Night
Scholastic, pb, 1997, 185 pp. Illus Linda Boddy.
“Mory’s best friend Hannah has come to stay, and Mory’s looking forward to a fantastic time. Riding Midnight Dancer, exploring the hills with Hannah and her other friends…. Then Uncle Glyn’s sheep start to go missing. Mory and her friends set out to find the thieves. But this time they may have bitten off more than they can chew.”
The Magic Pony Series
A Dream Come True, 1997
The Lost Rabbit, 1997
Night-time Adventure, 1997
Natty Saves the Day, 1998
Ghost in the House, 1998
Worst Week at School, 1999
Seaside Detectives, 1999
Snow Bandits, 1999
Thieves on Wheels, 1999
Annie Saves the Day, 2003
Pet Rescue, 2004
Summer Dreams 2006
Great Escape, 2009
Moonlight Adventure, 2009
The Haunted House, 2009
Natty to the Rescue, 2009
Star of the Show, 2009
Teacher Trouble, 2009
