September 30, 2025 by Candlewick
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Halle is struggling at the beginning of 6th grade. Not only have her two best friends, Norah and Ava, spent more time together because they live near each other, but she witnessed the death of a horse when her family attended their first ever race near their Minnesota home. Since they live out in the country, Halle is interested to find out that the horse, Carver d'Esprit, came from the Oak Creek Stables nearby. She visits the farm and meets the owner, Gale Gunnar, and strikes up an awkward conversation with her about the horse. Gale is also deeply affected by the death, and tells Halle that Carver had a best friend, Rocky, who is not doing well. The other horse loved to play soccer with Carver, so Halle sets out to win Rocky's trust to try to help him. Halle's parents don't understand, and her older sister Brenna is downright mean about everything. There is some comfort in writing in her language arts journal for Mrs. Delgado, who responds with supportive comments. Halle is so busy with swimming and working at Oak Creek that she is surprised that her older dog, Vern, is not doing well. When Brenna gets a concussion playing soccer, this adds another level of difficulty for the family. Combined with the fact that Gale is planning on selling the farm, Halle becomes more and more depressed. She works with Petra, who is helping out with the horses while Gale is visiting her grandchildren in California, to try to find a buyer for the farm so that it is not sold to developers who want to put 140 homes on the site. Being separated from Rocky would be devastating to Halle, who struggles when the family has to put Vern to sleep. There is some light at the end of the tunnel when Oak Creek is sold to a veterinary practice that will board horses and have equine therapy, and Halle learns that Rocky will be staying.
Strengths: I was not aware of the fact that SweeTarts had words printed on them (or the fact that horses would like them as a treat), and this was used to good effect throughout the story, and in the clever title. Language arts teachers will love the inclusion of the creative writing journal, as well as Halle's poetry. The friend drama with Norah and Ava will appeal to middle grade readers, and it was good to have the girls involved in different activities (even Girls on the Run!). There is always a solid fan base for books about horses, and the cover is great. There is a note at the end about real life events that inspired this story. This is a lyrical, heart print book that will be popular with many teachers and librarians.
Weaknesses: Halle is weirdly obsessed with her Apple Watch, just one of many small details that makes this book a bit long, at 352 pages. Vern's death occurs on page, and I wish that Mrs. Delgado had referred Halle to the school counselor for her obvious difficulty in processing trauma. There is a sonnet that has lines that are not in iambic pentameter; most of the poetry is free verse, so most people won't notice.
What I really think: If Mendez's The Trouble With Sunshine or Haas's The Hungry Place are not sad enough for your readers, this might be a good choice.
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