About the author
Anna Sellberg was one of the stable of Stabenfeldt authors. She is a Swedish author, and has written many more titles in her native Swedish. A fair few of them have been picked up by Stabenfeldt, who run pony book clubs in various countries. They have translated several of her titles, including some (if not all) of the Sara series. Anna has introduced some English language pony books to Sweden: she translated Samantha Alexander’s titles into Swedish, as well as Steven Farley’s.
Writing has taken something of a backseat for her now: Anna is probably the only pony author out there who works full time as a bus driver, so if you ever get on a bus in Uppsala, keep your eyes open!
She says:
“I´ve written 15 books, 12 about horses and 3 books with quizzes, crosswords and that kind of stuff. I live in Uppsala, Sweden, together with my two boys, 16 and 18 years old. I´ve also got a boyfriend (or what to call him when you´re at our age?) and we´ve also got a lot of animals: two dogs, three cats, two rats and three horses. I´ve been “pony-nuts” all my life – and of course I love books about horses too. I´ve collected these kinds of books since I was a child, and still buy and read them!
Many of my favourite authors are from Great Britain or the US, [like] Monica Dickens, Anna Sewell, J M Berrisford, Marguerite Henry, Ruby Ferguson, Samantha Alexander and so on. I can´t count the times I´ve been reading books like “Talking about Horses” by Dickens or “Black Beauty” … I still read my old favourites again and again, and do enjoy them as much as ever! There´s something special with these old books and the stories about horses …”
There’s more information, as well as pictures, on Anna’s website.
Finding the books
No Stabenfeldt titles were published in the UK, but some copies have been imported and are usually available fairly cheaply here. Alternatively, you can try American sites, or Ebay.com, where bundles of titles tend to come up fairly often.
Sources
Anna Sellberg – personal correspondence
Stabenfeldt website
Series
The Sara Series
Sara and the Mystery of the Thoroughbred
Save the Horses, Sara!
Clear the Hurdles, Sara!
Sara and the Crying Clown
Watch Out Sara!
Bibliography (pony books only)
Sara and the Mystery of the Thoroughbred
Stabenfeldt, 2002
Save the Horses Sara!
Stabenfeldt, 2004
Clear the Hurdles, Sara!
(Originally published as Över alla hinder, Sara!)
Stabenfeldt, 2005, trans Tore Fauske, 149 pp.
Sara’s best friend Jessie has moved a thousand miles away, but Sara goes to spend her holiday with Jessie in England. Sara meet’s Jessie’s new friend, Fiona, and has, since two terrible and tragic accidents, lost her nerve. Can Sara help Fiona jump again?
Sara and the Crying Clown
(Originally published as Sara och clownen som grät)
Stabenfeldt, 2006, trans Jeannie M Hamrin. 149 pp.
Sara, Alexandra and Sophia are alone together on Sara’s grandparents’ Shetland pony farm. Then a mysterious clown appears at the window. Sara, who is a lot braver than me, is determined to find out who the mysterious figure is and what he wants.
The Golden Chestnut
Stabenfeldt, 2006
“Lori has fallen in love with Red Top, but she doesn’t know why. Sure, he’s a beautiful golden chestnut, but he doesn’t show an interest in her, and it’s not like they have a special bond or anything. But when the richest, most stuck-up girl at the stables shows an interest in him and then starts to abuse him, Lori knows that she has to do something … and fast.”
Watch Out Sara!
Stabenfeldt, 2006
“Sara has a great new friend named Molly, whose family owns a pacer training farm, and a famous racehorse! She loves the fascinating new world of pacers – except for that horrible George, the horse trainer. What is up there in the hayloft that he doesn’t want the girls to find? Well, Sara and Molly are going to do some sleuthing and uncover the truth – even if George threatens Sara!”
Mia’s Riding Camp
Stabenfeldt, Danbury, CT, 2008, 153 pp.
Mia is shy, and she’s not too confident about her short, fat horse either. She has been laughted at before, so wonders why she is risking yet more ridicule to go to riding camp for a week.
