Dirt by Denise Gosliner Orenstein (review)

Ever since her mother's death, eleven-year-old Yonder has had a tough row to hoe: she's become electively mute, she's tormented by bullies at school, and her apple-picker father is drowning his sorrows in his "special cider." When she happens on a neglected Shetland pony, the two outcasts bond instantly, and Yonder names him "Dirt" and starts bringing him into the house to take care of him—to which social services responds with predictable horror. When Yonder gets taken in to foster care, Dirt ends up being sold to a shady owner, and Yonder is determined to save him. Orenstein writes with a lively voice, and she paints a colorful portrait of Yonder's small Vermont town; Dirt is also an entertainingly mischievous and voracious pal. However, the elective-mute outsider has become a cliché in youth literature, and the plot spins out of control as Yonder's misfortunes pile up and she roams Vermont meeting quirky characters and saving a collection of animals. A troublemaking but understanding pony is an appealing hook, though, and would-be pony saviors will likely cheer Yonder's mission.