THE WORD ON THE YARD

Pia wishes her pony, Drummer, could talk; he’s a good friend, but she could do with a fully sympathetic ear. Since her dad’s run off with his “soul mate,” she and her mum have had to move to a new “teeny-weeny” house, which also means a new school, a new home for Drummer and a new group of kids around the barn. When she literally stumbles over an ancient statue of a Roman horse-goddess, it gives her the superpower she hoped for: full communication with not only Drummer, but all the horses she meets. Pia tries to keep her new talent a secret, but she has to tell one girl her horse needs a vet fast—and before she knows it, she’s on a TV talk show, billed as “The Pony Whisperer.” The plot may sound suspect, but this British import is actually cracking good fun. Pia handles everything from her Mum’s ancient new date to having cell-phone photos of her underwear texted around her new school with courage and humor—no room for angst here—and the ponies sound exactly true to form. The first in a series—horse-mad girls will snap it up. (Animal fantasy. 8-12)