Kelly McCain

British author. Born in 1975. Also writes as Matt McKain. Author of several children's series for younger readers, including books about mermaids and fairies, one of which contains a pony. She has also written two more equine-themed series, The Pony Camp Diaries and Animal S.O.S. These are more down to earth and traditional pony and animal stories.

Kelly McCain worked as teacher and advertising copywriter before becoming an author. She also completed an M.A. in creative writing. She is now a full time writer and has had over 30 books published. She lives in Surrey with her family and dog, and enjoys riding when she can.

She now has her own website where you can find lots of info about her and her books.

Pony Camp Diaries Series:
Set on a pony camp at Sunnyside Stables and told in diary format, each book follows the adventures of a different girl and the pony whom she has been assigned to for the camp.

1) MEGAN AND MISCHIEF
(STRIPES 2006)
SUMMARY: Megan likes a challenge and when she is paired with Mischief at the camp she certainly gets one!

2) POPPY AND PRINCE
(STRIPES 2006)
SUMMARY: Poppy is nervous after a bad fall. Can kind pony Prince help her get over her fears?

3) CHLOE AND CRACKER
(STRIPES 2007)
SUMMARY: Chloe has promised her dad she will get a clear round in the jumping competition but when she is assigned Cracker the task looks impossible…

4) SOPHIE AND SHINE
(STRIPES 2007)
SUMMARY: Sophie can't wait for her week at Pony Camp, but once there she suspects there is a thief in the camp!

5) CHARLIE AND CHARM
(STRIPES 2008)
SUMMARY: Charlie is devastated when she grows out of her old pony and her parents sell him. Can pony camp and new pony Charm restore her happiness?

6) EMILY AND EMERALD
aka SARAH AND SPRITE
(STRIPES 2008)
Same book, 2 different names - don't ask me why!
SUMMARY: Emily (Sarah) must conquer her own nerves to help the flighty pony Emerald (Sprite) settle down.

7) LAUREN AND LUCKY
(STRIPES PB  2009)
SUMMARY: Lauren is eager to learn dressage at the pony camp, but tensions run high at the dressage competition at the end of the week…

8) JESSICA AND JEWEL
(STRIPES 2009)
SUMMARY: Jessica has always wanted to try western riding, and fiery, free-spirited Jewel, her pony for the week, is the perfect match for this. More exciting still, it turns out that they're all off on a trail ride and a camp out with a real cowboy.

9) HANNAH AND HOPE
(STRIPES 2010)
SUMMARY: Hannah discovers that Hope, her pony for the week, came from a pony rescue sanctuary. Hannah learns her sad story, and sees how well she has recovered. But there must be something she can do to help other ponies like Hope? Soon Hannah is on the case, rallying the Pony Camp girls to raise money for the rescue charity.

10) MILLIE AND MAGIC
(STRIPES 2010)
SUMMARY: Millie and her pony Tally have been a team for years, so she's heartbroken when she gets too big for him. Now Tally must join the other Pony Camp ponies, and Millie has to try out new pony Magic. But Millie is determined to keep Tally and comes up with a risky plan. Will Millie land herself in big trouble?

11) AMY AND AMBER
(STRIPES 2011)
SUMMARY: When Amy heads off to Pony Camp, she expects to spend the week in her best friend Kayla's shadow as usual. But when she's asked to make a video about the stables, she suddenly finds herself in the limelight. But could Amy's new found confidence mean the end of her friendship with Kayla?

12) DAISY AND DANCER
(STRIPES 2011)
SUMMARY: Daisy is thrilled to be at Pony Camp where she teams up with gorgeous pony Dancer and quickly makes friends with her room-mates Rosie and Isabel. When they see a daring riding display the girls are inspired to create their own. Rosie and Isabel are keen gymnasts and come up with a complex acrobatic routine. Daisy is desperate not to let her friends down, but she struggles, especially as Dancer spooks at everything too! Can Daisy and Dancer make a brilliant partnership in time to wow the crowd?

Collectors info:
All paperback originals. All still in print and can be bought new in UK and USA. Second hand copies are also fairly easy to find on the internet through Amazon marketplace, etc.

Animal SOS Series:
Part pony, part general animal series for younger readers. Not sure how much pony content is in each so have included them all.

1) THE MYSTERY OF THE CLIFF TOP DOG
(STRIPES 2012)
Paperback original.
ILLUSTRATED BY KATY JACKSON
SUMMARY: When Amy moves to White Horse Bay and starts riding lessons at the local stables she meets Leah. Together the pair of them get involved in a number of animal orientated adventures. When the girls spot an injured dog stranded on a cliff they realise they will have to rescue him.

2) THE HAUNTED HOUSE KITTENS
(STRIPES 2012)
Paperback original.
ILLUSTRATED BY KATY JACKSON
SUMMARY: When the girls discover a litter of kittens hidden in s a spooky manor house, they are plunged into a scary adventure!

3) THE CASE OF THE SECRET PONY
(STRIPES 2013)
Paperback original.
ILLUSTRATED BY KATY JACKSON
SUMMARY: Mysterious thefts at the stables and a hidden pony signal the start of a new horsy adventure for Amy and Leah.

4) THE HIDDEN PUPPY RESCUE
(Due to be published in May 2013)
Paperback original.
ILLUSTRATED BY KATY JACKSON
SUMMARY: When one of the riders at the stables gets a new puppy, the girls find themselves involved in uncovering a rogue puppy breeding operation.

Collectors info:
All paperback originals. Book 4  in the series is due to be published in May All the others are In print and can be found easily in the UK and USA.

Other Pony Books:

FAIRY RIDING SCHOOL
(SCHOLASTIC 2007)
Reprinted in paperback by Scholastic in 2009
SUMMARY: Part of  the
Fairy House series, a series about (surprise surprise) fairies. In this particular story a fairy must learn to ride in order to win a bet. (Who knew that fairies were into gambling!) Suitable for early readers.

For a list of the full
Fairy House series click here

Collectors info:
In print in UK and USA and can be bought new. Second hand copies, including hardbacks are also fairly easy to find.