Sweet, Tart

Ages 9 to 12, Grades 4 to 7

After witnessing the tragic death of a racehorse, eleven-year-old Halle finds herself caring for the horse’s best friend, a grieving pony named Rocky. A heart-tugging story of patience, love, and hope.

Halle thinks starting sixth grade in a brand-new school might help her forget about what happened at the racetrack. But she’s wrong. She can’t sleep at night because when she closes her eyes, she sees the last moments of Carver D’esprit, a horse who died the day Halle went to watch the races with her family. When Halle learns Carver came from nearby Oak Creek Stables, she is compelled to go there and learn more about him. The owner introduces her to Carver’s best friend, a pony named Rocky. Rocky is standoffish at first, but as Halle cares for him, they both begin to open up. When Halle finds out that Oak Creek Stables is suddenly on the verge of being sold to a housing developer, she feels everything slipping out from under her—what will happen to the horses, to Rocky, and to the memory of Carver D’esprit? This heartfelt story of loss and light follows Halle as she experiences the interconnectedness of endings and beginnings and learns that love still multiplies, even during grief.

About the Author

Kara Thom is the author the Go! Go! Sports Girls series, Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom, Becoming an Ironman: First Encounters with the Ultimate Endurance Event, and the children’s book See Mom Run. Her poetry has been published in Lucky Jefferson, Sport Literate, the 2020 Texas Poetry Calendar, and several online journals. She was the 2018 recipient of the Gaia Fenna Memorial Fellowship at Tofte Lake and a finalist for the 2019 Julia Darling Poetry Prize. This is her first middle-grade novel. She lives in Minnesota with her family.

Author Residence: Chaska, MN