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The book begins with Ken and Howard's return from a term at school. Ken is occupied with the thought of having his own horse, but knows that this is impossible unless his relationship with his father improves. However, that evening, Nell suggests that Rob ought to give Ken a horse to see if this will make him responsible. Rob agrees, and Ken is told to choose his horse. When he goes to choose a yearling, he is distracted by the return of Rocket, a loco mare, and her yearling. Banner, the stallion, chases the yearling, and as she runs past Ken, he sees a plea for help in her eyes. He returns home knowing he wants her. He calls her Flicka. At home, everyone objects to his choice, because she is Rocket's filly. Ken is insistent, so they relent.
Meanwhile, Rocket is sold. But during her delivery she kills herself. Flicka takes after her dam by jumping a wire fence when she is captured. She doesn't make it, and ends up tangled in the wire. She is close to death, but heals eventually, except for one wound. During her illness, she has grown to depend on Kenand love him. But then slowly she becomes weaker due to the wound. Eventually Rob orders Gus to shoot her. Ken slips out that night to say goodbye. He finds Flicka collapsed in a stream, and tries to lift her out, but fails. So he gets in with her and holds her through the night. When Gus comes to shoot Flicka he discovers Ken unconsious. He carries him home where he is diagnosed with pneumonia. Flicka meanwhile is better, and Gus secretly keeps her alive, for Ken. Ken is still ill, but he has also lost intrest in life. When Rob finds out Flicka is alive, he goes to shoot her, but can't because he uses his only bullet trying to kill a mountain lion. Rob stays with Flicka to protect and doesn't shoot her. Ken is told, but he is not interested. The book ends with Ken going out with his father. They see some deer and a stag, and Rob explains they are the stag's responsibility. When they return, Ken realises that Flicka is his responsibility and goes to her.
Notes:Flicka means little girl in Swedish.
Loco is a term used in America meaning crazy, or actually insane.
Thunderhead by Mary O'Hara
Setting:Same as in 'My Friend Flicka'
Main characters: As in 'My Friend Flicka' except for: Thunderhead, Flicka's colt; The Albino, Rocket's sire. Charley Sargent, a friend of Rob's, also features.
Flicka has her first foal, a colt named Goblin. Goblin is meant to be a racer, but his conformation is wrong, as well as his temperment. In the summer, after winter on the ranch, Goblin is trained by Ken, but he is full of hatred and won't work for Ken. He is eventually rideable, but there is never a bond between him and Ken. When Ken returns to school, Goblin runs away, but comes back during the foaling of Flicka's filly, named Touch and Go because of the difficult birth. Goblin is renamed Thunderhead because most of his faults have disappeared. He is now thought of as a possible racer. He runs off many times after this, but no-one worries untill he does this a few days before his first race. Ken and Howard search for him, and find his is a valley, about to fight his great-grandfather, The Albino, who steals mares from surrounding farms. Thunderhead kills The Albino after a long struggle, and Ken gets on his back to ride him home. Thunderhead has other thoughts, and starts to round up the mares. Ken falls off him after a tiring ride and returns home. he travles to the race track still, but with Touch and Go. Thundrehead goes to the ranch meanwhile when the weather turns icy, with all his mares. Rob captures him, and takes him to the race track. Touch and Go wins her race and is bought by someone. Thunderhead plays up on the track though, and Ken realises he needs his mares. When back at the ranch, he takes Thunderhead to the valley, where his mares are waiting, and traps them in together so they can live there forever in peace.
Green Grass of Wyoming by Mary O'Hara
Setting:Again, as in My Friend Flicka.
Main Characters:Yep, you've guessed it, the same as My Friend Flicka and Thunderhead, except for; Beaver Greenway, a racetrack owner; Carey Palmer, his grand-niece; Mrs Palmer, Carey's grandmother and Beaver's sister.
When a ranch hand sees a white stallion rescue a mare that had fallen off a train, he suspects it is Thunderhead. Ken refuses to beleive this and goes to find out himself. He discovers the remains of Thundrehead's mares and returns home. Meanwhile, Rob and Nell receive a visit from Beaver Greenway, Carey Palmer, and Mrs Palmer. The mare that Thundrehead rescued was being shipped to them for Carey. A massive round-up is arranged for later, because as well as Jewel, the mare, Thunderhead has stolen other horses. Ken meets Carey when he returns home, and falls in love with her. However, her grandmother is controlling, and refuses to let Cary participate in anything. She does this by pretending to be ill every time Carey wants to do something. But on the first stage of the round up Carey does sneak out, and becomes lost. She is only rescued by Gus as she is falling into unconsiousness.
While this is happening, Jewel is being bullied, and starts travelling with a workhorse, Pete, who has been following them. So, on the next round-up, when they have all the horses, Jewel isn't there. Carey is distraught, and she and her family go home. Thunderhead escapes, and Ken, who hopes of racing him again, tries to catch him later. He fails, and a horse trainer shoots him instead. However, the horse shot was really a large colt like Thunderhead. Ken discovers footprints the next morning that could be Jewel's and Pete's. He goes to follow them, but runs into Thundrehead's prints on the way. Meanwhile, Jewel foals, and they are attacked by wolves. Pete defends them, but dies with Ken holding him. Ken captures Jewel and tries to catch Thunderhead. Having failed he goes home with Thunderhead following. Carey and her family come to the ranch for Jewel's race. Thundrehead appears a few days later, and Ken tells his father to decide what to do with him. Rob's thought is to geld him, but after a ride on him, he wants to replace Banner with Thunderhead. Rob goes to the race to ride Thunderhead, while Ken rides Jewel. But Ken rides Thunderhead, and he wins with Jewel second. Carey finally stands up to her grandmother, and she and Ken become engaged.
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