Creaky Acres

In this heartwarming graphic novel, star equestrian Nora is sad to leave behind her friends and familiar barn upon moving to the rural town of Greenville for her mother’s job. There, the owner of Creaky Acres, the local barn where she houses her horse, Hay Fever, doesn’t believe in eventing, which Nora finds unfathomable. And as the only Black kid in her new class, she’s bombarded with microaggressions: one classmate asks, “Can I touch your hair?” while another wonders why she isn’t a better basketball player. Over time, though, Nora begins to see the bright side of her circumstances; befriending white and brunette Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast Laura, Nora rallies Creaky Acres’ ragtag crew and gives the horses—and cow and Laura’s mule, which everyone politely pretends is a horse—makeovers. Brill (The Secret Garden) and Magruder (How to Find a Fox) attentively tackle issues of race and class in a manner that is both empathetic and approachably humorous. Softly rounded line art rendered in poppy color imparts a friendly atmosphere, and expressive animals boast as much personality as humans in this quirky collaboration that will satisfy horse girls and fish out of water alike. Ages 8–12. (May)