Phoenix (Ride On #1)

A tween contending with familial tumult and financial insecurity finds comfort in a brand new setting in this classic-feeling girl-saves-horse story by Bradley (The Night War). It’s been three weeks since what 11-year-old Harper refers to as the Bomb figuratively “blew her family to pieces.” As if learning that her parents were getting divorced wasn’t bad enough, gossip at school soon revealed the reason behind the separation: Harper’s father and her best friend Cat’s mother have been having an affair. Now, after moving into a small home on the grounds of a riding stable in the Tennessee countryside, Harper and her mom attempt to start over. Grieving and angry over the loss of her former life and Cat’s friendship, Harper feels adrift—until a slaughterhouse truck abandons an ailing horse at the stable. Empathizing with the horse, Harper names him Phoenix and resolves to do everything she can to help him recover from the trauma of his neglectful past. Alongside sobering, candid conversations about animal abuse and the expenses and responsibilities associated with equine ownership, Harper’s relentless belief in Phoenix and herself buoys this optimistic series launch. Harper reads as white; supporting characters are racially diverse. Ages 10–14. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown. (Mar.)