Thank you to Netgalley and Capstone for this eARC for review!

Today's installment of Sullivan reads children's books for that sweet dopamine hit and this one is absolutely adorable, for adults and kids!

For a middle grades book, this was surprisingly realistic! I read some that feel very forced and too sunshine-y and watered down. The challenges and solutions in this book are modern, realistic and topical. The social anxiety representation felt very realistic. Unfortunately, so did the financial struggles that I know a lot of people, especially horse lovers, can relate to today especially. I would say this is very akin to Pony Pals or Saddle Club, geared for a younger, modern generation of horse people.

The illustrations throughout are really, really pretty. They aren't that CalArts style that seems to be everywhere these days. They're unique, but they aren't overbearing. This definitely isn't a picture book or a graphic novel. Pictures tell a thousand words, but these pictures tie in well to the story.

I was very impressed with the glossary, social anxiety information and additional activities in the back! I wasn't expecting it at all. I'm definitely not twelve, but even I wanted to bust out some paper and write. The story is short, but the activities extend it nearly infinitely. This absolutely would have been a book I would have reread several times as a child.

Always an A+ for normalized queer relationships. It was just cute and refreshing. I love juvenile fiction that doesn't assume that the reader is stupid. This book has learning potential. One of my biggest gripes as a young horse book reader was books that just repackaged the same old basic stuff.

If you're in a bad mood and you're an adult, read this book. If you need a gift for a child who happens to be 12 in your life, this is a great one to give. It's realistic without being a downer and cheerful without being overbearing.