Doncaster: Discover the Spirit
This is an ARCHIVE of the Doncaster Book Award website. The DBA is no longer operational, and the information in this archive is provided only for information purposes. Some of the information and links may be outdated, inaccurate or misleading.
Home > Read Reviews >
The Racehorse who Learned to Dance
by Clare Balding
2021 Shortlist
So far we have received 17 reviews of The Racehorse who Learned to Dance.
You can read them below. Why not add your own review?
Kacper from Year 7, The Armthorpe Academy:
Polly is recovering from a nasty riding accident that almost killed her. The robbers who took Noble Warrior drove too fast paster horse and it spooked. Polly nealy ended up in a wheelchair! Charlie cares a lot about her friend, she asks Noddy (Noble Warrior) to be gentle with Polly as she wants to help her ride again. Polly can't believe she is on a Derby winner! I'm really likeing this book so far, my favourite character is Percy the pony, because he is mischevouws.
Olivia from Year 6, Saltersgate Junior School:
I am not a big fan of this book as I can’t sit there for a while and be into the book. I think it is quite good comedy wise but still not the best. I definitely think that you have to be into horses in order to enjoy this book. I am a person who thinks there is a fine line between fiction and reality and I think that this book has just stepped over that line. However I still like this book and definitely recommend it for horse lovers!
William from Year 5, Saltersgate Junior School:
I liked the book and I would recommend it to people who like horses. My favourite bit was the last bit of the book when Percy has a cauliflower sticking out of his mouth.
Sienna from Year 5, Saltersgate Junior School:
I enjoyed reading this book, it was funny and up-lifting. My favourite part of the book, was when Harry and Larry tried to make the chickens dance and when Percy and Noble Warrior covered themselves in mud! I learnt that you can still do the things you love even though you're disabled in some way, or have faced problems.
Penny from Year 5, Rosedale Primary School:
The book was amazing! I loved it because it's very heart warming and it's about friendship like you said in the zoom call this morning.I like all the characters in this book.I like polly because she helped the netball team win. I like Charlie because she believed in polly and give her courage. I like noble warrior(noddy) because he did everything polly said which helped her a lot. Last but definitely not least,Percy is cute,funny and very hungry.Please write more books about that because I would read them all and one day they might become famous!
Holly from Year 5, Rosedale Primary School:
There is a character in the book named Polly who really made me change my ways of thinking about the disabled or ‘diffabled’. Prolly had a nasty incident in the second book and her horse spooked. Polly nearly ends up in a wheelchair and struggles a lot. But the book pointed out you shouldn’t think of all the things they can’t do, you should think of ways they can do things. I really liked this book as it tells us to follow our dreams and never give up even if there are challenges.
Joseph from Year 6, Saltersgate Junior School:
I think this book is a good book but in my opinion it is a bit to horsey and a bit to girly. But if you don't mind this than I can see you really enjoying this book so try to read it
Grace from Year 5, Saltersgate Junior School:
This book was amazing, you do have to be in to your horses to read it ! My favourite part of it was the big horses name who took place in Ireland. The Irish champion stakes! It made me giggle a lot and I could not stop reading I had to tell my mum to wait so I could finish the chapter. If you like horses or horse riding then this book would be for you!
Amara from Year 5, Saltersgate Junior School:
This book is really good it shows you that even if you have a disability you can do anything and become anything and it shows you about friendship.
Lexi from Year 6, Saltersgate Junior School:
Polly the disabled girl who struggled to ride horse even tho she was disabled.Which changed how I thought about disabled people like polly was was really put forward to try and ride that horse and Charlie her friend who was so supportive throughout her troubles.Noble warrior an amazing but just about calm horse.This book has inspired me to think about all them disabled people and think I want to do this is this is possible?But yet they try and follow there dream or what they want to do instead of giving up. :) thank you for reading this
Isla from Year 6, Saltersgate Junior School:
I did not enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would. It’s not a book I would enjoy to sit down and read for awhile but it does have a great amount of resilience because Polly couldn’t get up but she still managed to do what she enjoyed so overall I will not read the book again but I would recommend for people Who absolutely love horses
Abigail from Year 6, Saltersgate Junior School:
It was not my type but I love how the girls work together to try to get the horse to dance and then Polly who had a broken her leg but she can still get on the horse
Elyse from Year 6, Saltersgate Junior School:
When I first started to read this book I wasn’t interested in it at all but I did end up reading since I didn’t have anything else to do, but as I got more and more into it, it got more interesting. I would 7/10 recommend this book
Charlotte from Year 6, Saltersgate Junior School:
This book was great! I loved the teamwork and girl power in this story and I really recommend reading it if you like horses! This is the type of book where I could read it over and over again and still love the story!!!
Rosie from Year 7, The Armthorpe Academy:
I really like horses and i ride, so i would like to recommend this book to people who like riding or like animals. Polly was injured when kidnappers tried to steal Noddy (Noble Warrior) Now she is trying to deal with her injuries and overcome them. Her best friend Charlie Bass is trying to help her because she is one of the bravest people Charlie knows. When Charlie's brothers decide it would be a good idea for Noddy to earn his keep (as he is a bit fat after not racing anymore) They ask a local supermarket if he can be the star guest who opens it. Polly and Charlie think it would be horrible if he did something like that, so they decide to teach him to dance so he can lose a few pounds. Dressage is what it is called when horses and their riders look really posh and dance in an arena with patterns and letters to patriotic music like Valegro did in the Olympics. See hwat happens to Charlie, Polly and Noddy in this great book.
Kienna from Year 6, Saltersgate Junior School:
I didn't enjoy reading this book as much as other books but I still kind of liked it. It's about 2 girls named Polly and Charlie. Charlie has some horses who used to be racehorses. Polly is a disabled girl and trys to learn to ride the horse but her parents don't know yet. A lot more happens but u don't want to spoil a lot. I suggest this book for horse lovers or animal lovers. I rate this a 6/10.
Josh from Year 6, Saltersgate Junior School:
I think this is not the best off books but , its very cheesy and good in a comedy way I did enjoy the book but they was some parts that could be improved . I'm not a big fan of horses but I would recommend it to people who do like horses .
