About the author
Marjorie Reynolds was born in Rochester, New York, and before settling there, lived in France, England and Quebec. She married Major-General R C Reynolds, a retired British Army officer. The family were always interested in horses; they lived in the fox-hunting country of Genesee Valley, and spent their summers on Nantucket Island.
Marjorie Reynolds has written six horse books, all of which have a boy hero. Unlike most American horse book boys, none of her heroes come from the ranching or western worlds, but all feature English-style riding.
Finding the books
Only one of her books (Keep a Silver Dollar) was published in the UK. It also appeared as a Children’s Book Club edition, and is reasonably easy to find. In her books’ original American printings, they are unusual in having pictorial boards with matching dustjackets. Books were often produced this way as special library editions, but not generally for the public. This has meant that few survive with the dustjackets; presumably discarded when they became tatty. The books are however no more expensive with a dustjacket than without; just harder to find.
Links and sources
Dustjackets of Cabin on Ghostly Pond, Sire Unknown
Terri Wear: Annotated Bibliography
Many thanks to Susan Bourgeau for providing the information and pictures for this section.
Bibliography (horse books only)
The Cabin on Ghostly Pond
Harper & Row, New York, 1962, illus Lorence Bjorklund
A Horse Called Mystery
Harper & Row, New York, 1964, illus Wesley Dennis
Owlie has a lame leg, and he also wears glasses. With the help of a friend of his, a doctor, he rescues a horse and nurses it back to health. He learns there are more important things in life than looks.
Keep a Silver Dollar
Harper & Row, New York, 1966, illus Michael Lyne
Hamish Hamilton, London, 1967
Children’s Book Club, London, 1967
Mark’s pony is too small for him now, but until his grades improve, he’s not going to get a horse. Mark ignores what his father says when he sees an abused horse and reforms him.
Dark Horse Barnaby
Macmillan, New York, 1967, illus Peter Biegel
Palominos. That’s all Mr Peterson has in his stable, and it’s all he wants. However, his son Jeff brings home a bay hunter. Trouble results.
Sire Unknown
Macmillan, New York, 1968, illus Lorence Bjorklund
Jim wants a horse, but he doesn’t want the skewbald gelding that is all his father can afford. However, a good horses is never a bad colour, as they say.
Ride the Wild Storm
Macmillan, New York, 1969, illus Lorence Bjorklund
David has asthma. Added to his problems is that his parents are divorcing. David is sent to Nantucket for the summer, and while he’s there he’s allowed to ride a mare called Salty until her owners find a buyer for her.
