Dirt

Gr 4–7—Eleven-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 appears—almost magically—on 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.