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Review: Sweet, Tart

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Sweet, Tart 
By Kara Thorn 
Somerville: MA: Candlewick Press, 2026. 336 p. 

Eleven-year-old Halle and her family watched a racehorse get fatally injured on a racetrack. Halle who has a soft-spot for animals has especially had a hard time with the chance event. Additionally, Halle is struggling due to Halle’s older sister being in high school and her changing priorities (aka not Halle) and the new school year starts with Halle being put in a school class without her best friends. Needless to say, Halle is struggling. But when Halle realizes that the deceased racehorse lived just a few miles away, Halle decides to visit the stables and to start volunteering with the other horses. As Halle gains new friends, skills, and confidence she is able to overcome her lingering distress as well as come into her own. This is a great book for those who love horse stories with a lot of heart. Halle is such a kindhearted character who wants to belong and make the world a better place. This is a book that will help readers who are dealing with grief (over death or just life changing due to growing up or uncontrolled circumstances).
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