Another book identification thread

[Spudlet]

This is a stretch, but it’s driving me mad so thought I’d ask!

It was an old children’s book, from the sixties. The main character was a girl, possibly called Jill (not the ponies Jill though!), or maybe Jenny? She had brown hair and was a farmer’s daughter. They were quite hard up, and her dad called her Pony as a term of affection. She made friends with another girl who was a vicar’s daughter, also quite hard up. Her name may have been Deborah? They bonded over the fact that neither of them had the correct coloured mac for school as their families couldn’t afford them. There was also a plot point where the main character was cycling recklessly and made their grumpy neighbour slam his car brakes on and break a load of eggs all over his car - Jenny/Jill had to go and clean it up and I think the grumpy neighbour turned out to be alright after all.

Any bells being rung for anyone?

The Red Pony - John Steinbeck - main character Jody, live on a farm, but that’s where the similarity ends

It sounds very Angela Brazil in tone, but that would have been much earlier than the 60s.

I mean it may well have been earlier than that - it was one of my mum or Aunty’s old books that I used to read at my Grandma’s house so it may well be fifties or a bit older. I can’t even remember what happened at the end which is frustrating!

Probably not as early as that though, having googled Angela Brazil. I just can’t think of anything specific enough to Google it successfully.

It sounds like A Friend for Frances by P M Warner.

I think @Daneel has got it!

"As in a real-life friendship it so often happens that the partners could not resemble each other less, both in appearance and in character, so it is with Deb and Pony. Frances, or Pony (because she has always been sturdy like a little pony), lives at Baggotts Farm. Deborah is fair and slender and lives at the Rectory. The two girls get to know each other on their first day as new girls at the high school. Nothing creates friends like a common enemy or a common affliction and this case, the common affliction is being obliged, through lack of family funds, to wear the wrong raincoats with the right uniforms. From there on the friendship goes from strength to strength."

Oh my god, you utter utter genius. That’s it!

Well done Daneel!