Thoroughbred #55: Great Expectations

by Karle Dickerson

Book Overview

Can Parker live up to the challenge? Parker Townsend couldn't be more excited as he sets off for England to train for the Olympics, taking with him two headstrong horses and some very high hopes. At first he's thrilled to see the beautiful country estate where he'll be staying. But it's not too long before he discovers that the English do things very differently from what he's used to. Since he's a guest, he has to listen to whatever his trainers...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060090472
• ISBN13: 9780060090470
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: HarperEntertainment
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.2" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Parker, Foxy, and Ozzie

This was a REALLY GOOD book! I really enjoyed the change of country. England, the perfect place! This book was about Parker going to England to go train with the famous Jack Dalton. He learned a great deal about his attitude. It was SO great that Ozzie learned that he is now jumping for FUN! Not for doing it because it was what he was made to do. It was SO GREAT when Parker and Ozzie won!!! Now they have a great partership! It was a really good book! Can't wait to see who wins the Derby!

Great book

All of the Thoroughbred books are great. My daughter loves them. She sits and reads for hours and hours. She has read the entire series up to this point

*Gr8 book, but...*

This is a gr8 book if you love reading about eventing. It's an interesting storyline about Parker and his 2 horses, Foxy and Ozzie in England. But... when is the Kentucky Derby story going to come? It keeps on being stalled!A few books ago, there were a few weeks left until the Derby. What's the delay? We want to read it!!! We want to know who's gonna win: Star, Image, or Gratis?¿? Star has the heart, Gratis has the speed and agressiveness, and Image is just plain fast and loves to be in front of the pack. We are getting impatient only because we love this series and we want to know what's going to happen! All in all, these books are awesome if you're a horse lover. Thoroughbred series is the best!!!:-)

Um, has anyone mentioned this?

Ok, I like the book, even though it's about Parker competing, and in the end, we don't even the read about the event. Ok, so on and so on. Now, can I mention something?Has the TB collection lost it's original cover illustrator? I mean, has ANYONE noticed that the cover drawings lately have been so scragly? I mean, look in #51... why does Star look so horrible? And in #52 (Perfect Challenge), Image doesn't look perfect! I mean, I loved those beautiful drawings in the original books, like in #3, Wonder's First Race. Compare that cover with these awful ones!Also, I did like the covers in #34 to #37, where the horses looked like they were half-made in 3-D design, and rider's faces looked real. Otherwise, the covers have become as bad as the collection is going right now!Now, for the REAL problem: GET THE HORSE STRAIGHT!Look at Foxy in #41 (Close Call) and see what a pretty and sleek bay she is. Then, go look at #50 (Team Player) and Foxy had become all bedraggled and scraggly and become a CHESTNUT. Excuse me? Since when do horses become bays to chestnuts. And to make it WORSE, look in this book (#55- Great Expectations), Foxy has turned into a sorrel/light chestnut with TWO FRONT STOCKINGS... um, did I hear that right? I do hope the illustrator has a memory!Please, let's also start campaigning for the "Get The Old Covers Back!". I mean, go look at the books #50 and above. Then, go look at the books #1 to #30 and the Ashleigh collec. and the Supers and the Ashleigh Specials. Notice the BIG difference? Don't you agree with me?TB has already gone down with the story all spread out! Let's not let the look go down as well!

I'm getting more and more anxious.

This book was good, Parker takes a trip to England to complete internationally. But the only thing is it talks about the prep show but it doesn't actually have the Burghley (however you spell it) in in. Another thing, this book doesn't have the Derby in it. I mean, I thought the derby was going to be in Derby Fever before I finished it. Then I was so sure it would be in the next book, Cindy's Last Hope. Still no sign of it. And when I found out this book was about Parker it couldn't have the derby in it. Oh well, please, just please, make it in the next book! I'll die if I don't know who'll win soon.