After her mother's death four years ago, grief-stricken 11-year-old Yonder stopped speaking. Life hasn't been easy r father has retreated into drinking, and she's bullied at school and often lonely. But when she meets a neglected Shetland pony that she names Dirt, a special bond develops into mutual support and trust. Yonder's school absences, however, lead to an official intervention and foster care while her father is hospitalized. Meanwhile, she learns Dirt may be sold to a slaughterhouse. Her efforts to rescue him bring unexpected challenges but also new allies and, eventually, a potentially better future for herself d Dirt. Yonder is an engaging protagonist whose intimate, frequently poetic first-person narrative captures her unspoken sorrows and dilemmas. Dirt's unique in his own right isty, loyal, and affectionate d their relationship's shared rewards, companionship to comfort, are evident throughout. Side characters, while diverse, can be somewhat stock, like mean farmer Enid, and some animal-abuse situations can be disturbing. However, Yonder and her issues are sympathetically drawn in an often eloquent, affecting portrayal of loss, friendship, and healing. An author preface provides the real-life inspiration.

An 11-year-old white girl's bond with a mischievous Shetland pony helps her heal from the trauma of losing her mother. When Yonder's mother was killed in an automobile accident four years earlier, her orchard-worker white father started drinking heavily, and Yonder stopped speaking out loud. Now, Yonder locks her father in his bedroom every evening because she is afraid he, too, will disappear from her life, walking out in a drunken haze. Bullied and unable to speak up for herself, Yonder begins skipping school and makes friends with a pudgy Shetland pony she names Dirt. Horrified when Dirt's owner offers him for sale for horsemeat, Yonder hides the pony in her house. When a social worker sees the state of Yonder's home life, Yonder is sent to a foster home—and promptly runs away to find Dirt. While the story's essence works, the delivery lacks polish. Overexplanation and frequent adverbs may exasperate readers who like to figure things out for themselves. Yonder's first-person narration occasionally strikes a prim middle-aged note ("Every child should experience it. I highly recommend playing hooky") that rings false, and the use of speaking-themed names (Mutter Street, Bellow Avenue, Trudy Trumpet, Mrs. Prattle) feels forced. This story of a healing relationship between a traumatized girl and a pony needs some mucking out to make it shine. (Fiction. 8-12)

Gr 4-7Eleven-year-old Yonder has not spoken since her mother's death in a car accident four years earlier. She lives in a "crooked little house" in Vermont with her father, who copes with his grief by drinking too much. Life is not any easier at Robert Frost Middle School, where she is targeted by a bully named Heywood Prune. Yonder's life changes dramatically, though, when a one-eyed Shetland pony appearsalmost magicallyon a rainy night. Dirt, named for one of the pony's favorite things, and Yonder form an immediate bond. Unlike anyone else, he seems to understand her unspoken thoughts, and as Yonder cares for Dirt, her heart begins to heal. When she learns that Dirt's owner, her heartless neighbor Miss Enid, plans to sell Dirt for horsemeat, Yonder knows that the pony's very life depends on her. Initially, she hides Dirt in her bedroom, but Trudy Trumpet, a determined and caring social worker, discovers Yonder's oversize housemate and the unsanitary conditions of her broken-down home. After Dirt is sold to a shady "petting zoo," Yonder embarks on an adventure to save the animal who saved her. As the plot unfolds, Yonder realizes that even though her life is not going the way she hoped, there are kind people, and a one-eyed pony, to help pave the way. This is an emotionally absorbing story with rich themes about redemption and friendship. VERDICT Hand this poignant tale to animal lovers and fans of horse fiction.Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA