Hummer by Linda Gruenberg
Twelve-year-old Hummer has a different kind of home life. Her mother suffers from a mental illness and her dad does his best to give the young girl a normal life on their farm. When she encounters an Arabian horse that wanders onto their land, she has an unusually deft connection with the difficult animal. It’s owned by a grumpy neighbor, Riley, who sees Hummer’s promise and permits her to care for Fox, as the horse is called, on Hummer’s family’s farm. Moreso, the pair strike up a surprising friendship with Riley helping Hummer and Fox train for a trail ride competition. What results is a beautiful journey of self-discovery and grit for the young girl.
Hummer is a beautifully written middle-grade novel reflecting multilayered characters and a simple yet profound story. The engrossing and unpretentious writing style gives a charm to the story that makes it feel like a book from a different era. Though the intended audience is children, I found this book to be so powerful and complex that I felt that the book would be appealing and relevant to all readers.
