About the author
Jessica Burkhart (a pseudonym used by Jessica Ashley) is the author of the twenty-book Canterwood Crest series, set in an elite American school with riding on the curriculum. It follows pupils Sasha Silver, and in later books, Lauren Towers, through the ups and downs of their school careers.
Jessica’s own school career was not as straightforward as those she writes about. Nor was her experience with horses. Horse mad, she set up her own tack cleaning business to raise money for riding lessons when she was ten, but had to stop riding when she had spinal fusion surgery for scoliosis. While she was in the long period of recovery, she wrote article after article for magazines, writing things she thought editors wanted. All of them were turned down. She started writing about her passions, and hit success. She wrote over 100 articles, all of them avoiding the subject of horses – too painful to write about. In her senior year at Florida State University, she started writing about horses again. Take the Reins was the result.
Jessica Burkhart introduced a new series in 2013. Aimed at the younger reader, it’s got princesses. And unicorns.
Finding the books
The books are all in print.
Links and sources
Jessica Burkhart’s website
Series
Canterwood Crest
Take the Reins
Chasing BlueBehind the Bit
Triple Fault
Best Enemies
Little White Lies
Rival Revenge
Home Sweet Drama
City Secrets
Elite Ambition
Scandals, Rumours, LiesUnfriendly Competition
Initiation
Popular
Comeback
Masquerade
Jealousy
Super Specials
Chosen
Home for Christmas
Bibliography (horse books only)
Take the Reins
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2009, 249 pp
Sasha Silver and her horse Charm arrive at Canterwood Crest for their first term. It’s Sasha’s first time away from home, and she’s worried about how she and Charm will adapt. Will they settle in? Will Sasha make any of the school teams? And what about the girls who seem determined to hate Sasha before they’ve even got to know her?

Chasing Blue
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2009, 257 pp
Sasha thought that maybe she and Heather had reached an understanding: now they’re back at school, and she’s found out that Heather is her new riding partner. Then Heather starts spending a lot of time with Sasha’s almost-boyfriend, Jacob.

Behind the Bit
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2009, 265 pp
Sasha Silver has been invited to attend an exclusive equestrian clinic during the winter break. She’s not the only one to be invited: Callie, Heather, Alison, and Julia have been too.

Triple Fault
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2009, 268 pp
It’s not going well for Sasha: Heather is pretending to date Jacob; a new girl has arrived who out-competes even Heather, and Sasha’s former best friend is going in for stealing boyfriends.

Best Enemies
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2009, 256 pp
Heather Fox and Jasmine King are convinced they’re both the best at Canterwood Crest; a
recipe for disaster, as they can’t both be. Can Sasha keep the peace, and still manage to get a place on the Youth Equestrian National Team?

Little White Lies
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2009, 223 pp
Sasha has a new boyfriend: Eric. Callie’s with Jacob, and she and Sasha are finally friends again. Everything seems good, but then Sasha learns of a secret that could destroy all of her relationships. She decides a few white lies to protect people won’t hurt. She’s wrong.

Rival Revenge
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2010, 225 pp
Julia and Alison are back on the advanced team; it having been proved that they did not cheat. They’re now out for revenge.

Home Sweet Drama
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2010, 224 pp
Only the strong survive at Canterwood Crest Academy. Sasha Silver has more than proven
that she’s worthy competition on – and off –the arena. Is there a new queen in the making?

City Secrets
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2010, 254 pp
Sasha’s spending her holiday in New York. What she hadn’t planned is a visit to Heather, in her Park Avenue penthouse, having fun.

Elite Ambition
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2010, 211 pp
Everything’s going well for Sasha; the trio love her, a popular new girl does too, and Sasha’s riding’s going well. All she has to do is figure out a way to deal with her old friends Paige and Callie and a boy she’s always liked.

Scandals, Rumours, Lies
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2010, 181 pp
An anonymous blog is creating havoc in Canterwood. Someone hates Sasha, and isn’t afraid to say so online.

Unfriendly Competition
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2011, 178 pp
Sasha Silver has it all; but then Lauren Towers, a brilliant rider from Sasha’s hometown, joins
Canterwood. Will Lauren be Sasha’s friend, or her rival?

Chosen
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2011
Lauren has one dream: to be a professional rider. She’s applied for Canterwood. While she’s waiting to see if she gets in, she’s forced to wonder if her past life will make her stronger, or wreck everything.

Initiation
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2012, 299 pp
Things aren’t straightforward for Lauren as she starts at Canterwood.

Popular
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2012, 262 pp
At last Lauren’s fitting in, and she’s popular. Unfortunately, in the whirl of activity, things start to go wrong with her best friend.

Comeback
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2012, 200 pp
Lauren’s battling her nerves, and is spending as much time as she can in the arena. But as her first show since the accident draws near, she’s not sure if she and Whisper can make it.

Masquerade
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2012, 233 pp
Halloween is coming up. It’s Lauren’s thirteenth birthday too, and they’re planning a party. The party arrives, and so does a mysterious masked guest. Will the stranger wreck the party? Will it be trick or treat?

Jealousy
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2013, 194 pp
Lauren’s past is about to come and haunt her. Nothing at Canterwood is ever as simple as it seems

Home for Christmas
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster, New York), 2013
Everyone Lauren knows is coming to her home town in Union, Connecticut, which is also Sasha Silver’s home. They find themselves on the same team: Lauren, Sasha, and all their friends and enemies. Will it be a Christmas miracle?
