May 6, 2025 by Kokila
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this graphic novel, Nora is sad to be leaving her town, and especially the stable at which she rides and keeps her horse, Hay Fever. The family has an impressive Victorian house in the smaller town of Greenville, which is much more rural, and a bit impoverished. Nora isn't happy that she has to board Hay Fever at Creaky Acres, which is very run down. There are children who take lessons there, but the owner, Susan, doesn't believe in eventing. Nora has won a lot of ribbons, and is very invested in proper procedures for horse care as well as horse and rider presentation. In addition to the more primitive facilities, the owner's son, Theo, is fond of possums, and they are everywhere, taking a special shine to Nora. Since there are few other Black families in the area, Nora runs into a fair amount of racism, with a girl at school even asking to touch her hair. One of the girls who rides, Laura, is a bit quirky, and is made fun of and bullied by mean girls. Nora stands up for hre new friend, which doesn't put her in a very good social standing. After an impromptu horse fashion show at the stables, the other riders ask Nora to walk them through some of the procedures, and they even ask Susan to help them enter a competition. The group gets a taste of the competitive side of their sport, and Nora reconnects with her old friends.
Strengths: I always enjoy books about children who move who ARE able to make friends, and Nora is able to find her people at the stables, even if she has some difficulties in school. I was vastly amused that her father's job was blogging (The Blerd Werd, but I certainly have never earneda penny blogging!), and his interaction with Laura, geeking out over Dungeons and Dragons and other things, was delightful. Nora was passionate about competition, and I loved how she instructed her fellow riders in all the details of what to wear, etc. There is also a small plot arc about Nora always looking down during jumps that was handled well. There is always a need for a few new horse books every year, so this will definitely be one I purchase.
Weaknesses: Susan, who runs the stables, is dealing with precarious finances, but she seems to take little joy in running the stables. She seemed to be negative about everything, which seemed odd.
What I really think: Faith Hick's Ride On, Varner's Horse Trouble, (which I apparently need to read!) or Seim's Horse Girl (which is not a graphic novel).
Strengths: I always enjoy books about children who move who ARE able to make friends, and Nora is able to find her people at the stables, even if she has some difficulties in school. I was vastly amused that her father's job was blogging (The Blerd Werd, but I certainly have never earneda penny blogging!), and his interaction with Laura, geeking out over Dungeons and Dragons and other things, was delightful. Nora was passionate about competition, and I loved how she instructed her fellow riders in all the details of what to wear, etc. There is also a small plot arc about Nora always looking down during jumps that was handled well. There is always a need for a few new horse books every year, so this will definitely be one I purchase.
Weaknesses: Susan, who runs the stables, is dealing with precarious finances, but she seems to take little joy in running the stables. She seemed to be negative about everything, which seemed odd.
What I really think: Faith Hick's Ride On, Varner's Horse Trouble, (which I apparently need to read!) or Seim's Horse Girl (which is not a graphic novel).
October 26, 2021 by First Second
Public library copy
I don't know how I missed this one, and I loved Varner's Dog Trouble. The two are not related. This is done in a slightly different way, with three color illustrations and much more text. Kate loves horses, but her biggest concern is her weight. She also has to deal with very mean girls at the stables. Looking at the author's notes, this does seem to be based in part on her own experiences, so Kate's experiences with fat shaming, especially when it came to her brother's friends, reflects the sensibilities of earlier decades, although I'm sure some of this regrettably continues today. There are plenty of details about horse riding, so if graphic novels about horse riding are popular in your middle school or elementary library are popular, I would definitley take a look at this one.
Public library copy
I don't know how I missed this one, and I loved Varner's Dog Trouble. The two are not related. This is done in a slightly different way, with three color illustrations and much more text. Kate loves horses, but her biggest concern is her weight. She also has to deal with very mean girls at the stables. Looking at the author's notes, this does seem to be based in part on her own experiences, so Kate's experiences with fat shaming, especially when it came to her brother's friends, reflects the sensibilities of earlier decades, although I'm sure some of this regrettably continues today. There are plenty of details about horse riding, so if graphic novels about horse riding are popular in your middle school or elementary library are popular, I would definitley take a look at this one.
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