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Creaky Acres

Name: Creaky Acres
Rating: 4.31 (77 reviews)
ISBN: 9780735230620

Calista Brill, Nilah Magruder (Illustrator)

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A heartwarming middle-grade graphic novel about being the new kid, making new friends, and learning to trust yourself through the power of horseback riding—perfect for fans of Victoria Jamieson's Roller Girl.<,/b>

Nora is a prize-winning horseback rider in a suburban area, with a tight-knit circle of best friends. But when her mom gets a prestigious new job in a poor, rural area, she has to adjust to a lot of change: to being the only Black kid in a new class and a new barn called Creaky Acres, where her beloved horse, Hay Fever, will make his new home.

It’s there she meets sweet and geeky Laura, goofy and fun-loving Wilson, and fearless Dolores (aka Dizzy). With her rag-tag team of equestrians, Nora learns it’s okay to stand out and steps into her power as a leader, realizing that being a rider isn’t just about winning—or maybe that winning just might look different than what she’d thought.

GenresGraphic NovelsMiddle GradeAnimalsFriendshipFictionRealistic FictionComics

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 2025

22 people are currently reading

4953 people want to read

About the author

Calista Brill

8 books17 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews

Andrea Beatriz Arango

Author 6 books234 followers

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April 15, 2025

Always 👏🏼 here 👏🏼 for 👏🏼 more 👏🏼 horsey 👏🏼 MG!! And this one's a graphic novel!! I LOVED IT.

And I'm not just saying that cause there are possums everywhere in it 😏. And a cow 😍.

Hand this one off to your favorite horse-loving kiddo. They'll thank you for it.

D.T.

Author 5 books80 followers

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May 23, 2025

Cute. Nora has a clear character arc and learns to give others/ a new situation a chance.

Nora's family is affluent, so going from the high-class riding barn to a more rustic one is drastic upheaval. Being the new and only Black kid at a new school doesn't help either.

This doesn't delve into what it's like to be a Black "horse girl," so this aspect felt like a major missed opportunity. It's not a common hobby for most girls like her, so it would have been a unique perspective. Like, how did the kids at Nora's old school react to that? How did she get involved with it?

Also, when the parents talked to her about race, it didn't make sense to happen at this point. She's been in the equestrian world which is predominantly white for the longest, and they're just now telling her this???

I wonder why letter writing replaced texting in this book. It's set in modern times, and I understand it helped guide the narrative, but Nora is shown to have a cellphone, so it seemed odd.

Overall, I liked the friendship aspect, and that it didn't fall into Nora always having to defend others without it being reciprocated back. Also, the old friends were decent and sweet. The artwork is precious, and I love Nora's little nose so much.

cute light-hearted

Sam Donovan

677 reviews102 followers

May 19, 2025

this is a charming story that fit a reading prompt to fulfill: horse girl lol this is a sweet graphic novel about friendship and possums and I adored it.

2025

Gary Anderson

Author 0 books102 followers

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July 10, 2025

In the excellent new middle grade graphic novel Creaky Acres, a parental job change means ten-year old Nora has to leave her friends, her school, and her beloved high-end horse facility where she is an accomplished and award-winning equestrian.. At least she gets to keep Hay Fever, her horse and best friend.

Everything in Nora’s new environment seems strange. Her new house is old and purple. The kids at her new horse barn, Creaky Acres, are quirky and lack the discipline expected at Nora’s previous barn. Worst of all, Creaky Acres is in poor repair, and the trainer doesn’t believe in allowing her students to participate in competitions.

At her new school, Nora is the only Black student, and she is met with several microaggressions. Some kids want to touch her hair. The social studies teacher only calls on her when the answer involves a Black historical figure. When she gets in an argument with a white bully, the principal automatically believes the bully’s version of what happened.

Creaky Acres has all of this drama, but it also has plenty of appealing sillines, including a girl who insists on riding a cow instead of a horse, a poorly-behaved goat, and possums galore.

The artwork features colorful cartoon-style drawings, and panels of varying sizes are effectively used to intensify especially important moments. Some of the most compelling scenes include no text at all, just sequences of panels that guide readers wordlessly through the action.

I can’t quite put my finger on how they accomplished it, but authors Calista Brill and Nilah Magruder have created a graphic novel that feels cinematic in ways that the characters interact and how the plot unfolds. Creaky Acres is definitely for all the horse kids out there, but other young readers wll like it too because of the clever banter, its portrayal of outsider kids supporting each other, and universal themes involving friendship and resilience.

Creaky Acres is one of the best graphic novels I’ve seen in a long time. I’m glad that it allows plenty of room for development as a series.

Carrie

2,635 reviews60 followers

May 18, 2025

I'm not usually into horse stories, but this may be my new favorite graphic novel to recommend. There is so much here to enjoy - friendships well-earned, identities examined, expressive artwork, and a competition that turns out to be more fun than cutthroat. I laughed. I cried. A must read for the Raina Telgemeier crew.

graphic-novels middle-grade ownvoices

Makayla

201 reviews22 followers

June 27, 2025

the horse girls are gonna love this (it's me, im horse girl)

genuinely, it does a really good job at addressing the hardships of moving, of being the only Black kid in a rural white area, and the microagressions that come along with that. but it's also a really good story about finding your people, making friends, and lifting each other up.

Kayla Nightser

37 reviews2 followers

September 26, 2025

As a former girl obsessed with horses, I loved this book. Quirky friends, overcoming obstacles (physical and mental), and character growth. What else can you ask for in a middle grade graphic novel? Oh yeah! It was funny too!

Leslie Carnahan

1,419 reviews15 followers

July 29, 2025

I super enjoyed this! As a not so closeted Horse Girl, this was an absolute delight!

Mehsi

15.1k reviews454 followers

August 13, 2025

This was a lot of fun! Short review to come. Too hot/tired/melted to do more.

4-5-twinkling-stars black-beauty children-s-books

Abigail♪

39 reviews

October 2, 2025

3.5 stars

It was okay

Melissa

1,057 reviews5 followers

December 29, 2025

A great one for the horse lovers (at least it seems that way to someone who’s not).

Nhà Cái i9BET

1 review

June 10, 2025

La La

1,118 reviews156 followers

set-aside

March 30, 2025

Please let BIPOC authors write the books with BIPOC main characters. Why do White authors think they know what it's like to be growing up Black?

middle-grade-not-recommended

Alli Peterson

13 reviews

August 15, 2025

So good. I was left disappointed after I turned the last page. I didn't want this sweet book to end.

Ms. Yingling

3,928 reviews607 followers

January 16, 2025

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this graphic novel, Nora is sad to be leaving her town, and especially the stable at which she rides and keeps her horse, Hay Fever. The family has an impressive Victorian house in the smaller town of Greenville, which is much more rural, and a bit impoverished. Nora isn't happy that she has to board Hay Fever at Creaky Acres, which is very run down. There are children who take lessons there, but the owner, Susan, doesn't believe in eventing. Nora has won a lot of ribbons, and is very invested in proper procedures for horse care as well as horse and rider presentation. In addition to the more primitive facilities, the owner's son, Theo, is fond of possums, and they are everywhere, taking a special shine to Nora. Since there are few other Black families in the area, Nora runs into a fair amount of racism, with a girl at school even asking to touch her hair. One of the girls who rides, Laura, is a bit quirky, and is made fun of and bullied by mean girls. Nora stands up for hre new friend, which doesn't put her in a very good social standing. After an impromptu horse fashion show at the stables, the other riders ask Nora to walk them through some of the procedures, and they even ask Susan to help them enter a competition. The group gets a taste of the competitive side of their sport, and Nora reconnects with her old friends.
Strengths: I always enjoy books about children who move who ARE able to make friends, and Nora is able to find her people at the stables, even if she has some difficulties in school. I was vastly amused that her father's job was blogging (The Blerd Werd, but I certainly have never earneda penny blogging!), and his interaction with Laura, geeking out over Dungeons and Dragons and other things, was delightful. Nora was passionate about competition, and I loved how she instructed her fellow riders in all the details of what to wear, etc. There is also a small plot arc about Nora always looking down during jumps that was handled well. There is always a need for a few new horse books every year, so this will definitely be one I purchase.
Weaknesses: Susan, who runs the stables, is dealing with precarious finances, but she seems to take little joy in running the stables. She seemed to be negative about everything, which seemed odd.
What I really think: Faith Hick's Ride On, Varner's Horse Trouble, (which I apparently need to read!) or Seim's Horse Girl.

Sesana

6,276 reviews329 followers

September 20, 2025

Sweet middle grade graphic novel about a horse girl. Nora moves from a town with a modern barn with an eventing team to a much smaller town with a significantly less well maintained barn with no team. She's also the only black girl in the entire town. Microaggressions are a significant source of stress to Nora at school, but they're kind of secondary to the actual plot. This is much more about Nora learning to adapt to an entirely new and, honestly, pretty weird, new barn, and the quirky people that come with it. This progression is well defined. Nora is pretty standoffish and judgmental at first, but it's understandable that she is. It's a huge change for her, and it would take a very mature and even keeled person indeed to roll with a barn that has a pet opossum and a mule and cow are regularly ridden in lessons. Nora learning to appreciate her new barn and fellow riders is a process, and it felt perfectly natural to me.

There are a couple of things that bothered me a little. That mule? Nobody is supposed to say that it's a mule. Its owner was scammed into believing that its an Arabian horse, and the solution is to just... not ever tell her that? I kept expecting her to find out and be really hurt that her friends were keeping it from her, or to admit that she knew all along and just enjoyed pretending. I didn't like that she's still in the dark at the end of the book, and that's apparently ok with everyone. I also never quite understood why Nora and her family moved to this town. It's supposedly for her mother's job, but her mother is a corporate lawyer. There's no way she's working in this tiny little town, so she's commuting to somewhere. Why this particular town, where they'll be the only black family, with this particular barn, that has no eventing team? For that matter, it kind of seems like her parents, who otherwise are loving, supportive, and involved, did basically no research at all into the barn before agreeing to move Nora's horse there, which didn't feel on brand. A couple of lines added in would have helped here: maybe Nora's mother is already putting in a signifcant commute so they can live close to the barn, maybe her parents knew about the team and were hoping to break it to her gently, maybe they saw old photos of the barn where there weren't holes in the roof.

comics middle-grade

Melanie Dulaney

2,250 reviews142 followers

April 25, 2025

Well-drawn graphic novel with an engaging story of moving to a new place, making unexpected friends and beginning to find one’s potential. All of this set in the world of horses and event competition.

Nora has found her niche at an excellent riding academy and feels secure in her friendships there and her trainer, Dan. But mom’s job as a corporate lawyer is moving them away to an interesting-looking, maybe haunted new home, a dilapidated stable with an odd bunch of riding students and a school where she is the only Black student and her 15 classmates are more interested in their family’s financial status than becoming her friend. But supportive parents are there at every turn with good advice when she makes mistakes and encouragement to give the Creaky Acres stable a chance. After some false starts, Nora does begin to make friends with the kids at Creaky Acres, instructor Susan finds a way to coach her out of a stumbling block while jumping her horse Hay Fever and, best of all, she begins see and be the leader she can be.

Graphic panels are realistic and not only are integral to the story-telling, but have plenty of “extras” included in scenes in Nora’s new home, at Creaky Acres and at the competition; all will keep readers going back and looking to see what things they missed. (I enjoyed the cute hedgehog on Nora’s box of Hedgy-O’s breakfast cereal.) With diagrams and step by step directions included within Nora’s story, lovers of horses will likely gain some new knowledge of riding competitions, horse anatomy and steps to grooming a horse and the equipment needed. Lessons on making and keeping friends are gently woven into the characters’ words and action and none come across in a heavy-handed way.

Text is free of profanity, violence and sexual content. Nora and her parents are Black and while all of the other main characters are white, they are diverse in age, body shapes and interests outside of their shared love of riding. A highly recommended graphic novel for ages 8-12, especially those who love realistic stories and/or horses.

Thanks for the finished paperback copy, Kokila/Penguin Random House and the 2025 Texas Library Association annual conference.

black-representation children-s graphic-novel

Roben

3,049 reviews18 followers

August 12, 2025

Nora's family has to move because her mom got a new job. Nora's favorite thing in the whole world is riding. She's very good at it - and she has her own horse - Hay Fever. They are best friends.

Nora is not thrilled about moving. Everything is different. Their new house is purple and probably haunted. Nora is the only black kid at her new school. And it is hard. Other kids want to touch her hair. And even the teachers single her out as the "token black kid". Oh hey - we're studying Harriet Tubman! I'm sure you know all about that Nora.

And the new riding stable - Creaky Acres - is, in Nora's opinion - a dump.

Nora's main problem is that she equates different with bad. And she is pretty negative about everything. But - she realizes she has crossed a line when she makes Hank cry. And she has a heart to heart talk with her parents and slowly begins to adjust her thinking and not be a brat to the people that are trying to be nice to her and make her feel welcome.

Lots of great advice - and horse info - conveyed. And even if you aren't into horses, it is a very fun book filled with a bizarre goat, crazy possums, and a lovely cow. Also the beautiful Athena - the animal Laura rides. I loved how all of the stable kids really stick up for each other.

I know nothing about show riding but if it is truly as supportive as the book portrays, then that is a great thing. Of course, it can also be crazy expensive... but the team works together to figure that out.

bullies competition friendship

Lori

385 reviews11 followers

May 8, 2025

Prize-winning horseback rider Nora is devastated to leave her close-knit riding community behind when her family moves to a rural area. Creaky Acres, the new barn where her horse Hay Fever will be boarding and she’ll be training, is run down in comparison to the suburban barn where she had trained before—and has a host of other animals in residence, too. Even worse, the owner doesn’t believe in competitions. Things aren’t going well at her new school either, where she’s the only Black student and faces daily microaggressions from students and teachers. After Nora stands up for one of the other riders from her new barn when she sees her being bullied at school, they begin to form a real friendship and Nora warms to her new environment, eventually finding a way to feel at home in a new place.
Nora demonstrates growth throughout the book, both as a rider and as a person, realizing that first impressions don’t always show how things really are and showing that she can be a leader. The illustrations in the graphic novel give the characters, including the menagerie of animals residing at Creaky Acres, their own distinct personalities and add to the narrative. Fans of animal stories and realistic fiction focused on friendship will enjoy this one.

Ryan Laferney

872 reviews30 followers

July 3, 2025

"Nora is a prize-winning horseback rider in a suburban area, with a tight-knit circle of best friends. But when her mom gets a prestigious new job in a rural area, she has to adjust to a lot of change: to being the only Black kid in a new class and to a new barn called Creaky Acres, where her beloved horse, Hay Fever, will make his new home. It’s there she meets sweet and geeky Laura, goofy and fun-loving Wilson, and fearless Dolores (aka Dizzy). With her ragtag team of equestrians, Nora learns it’s okay to stand out and steps into her power as a leader, realizing that being a rider isn’t just about winning—or maybe that winning just might look different than what she’d thought." - publisher description.
Creaky Acres is an absolutely charming and heartwarming graphic novel. I immediately fell in love with the characters and the art. I really enjoyed Nora and her quirky crew, the world of Creaky Acres, and all the horses . . . and cows . . . and possums. This is a great middle grade graphic novel and a great story about accepting change, forming friendships, and learning to trust yourself.

animals art comical

Laura

3,240 reviews101 followers

September 4, 2025

Do you have to be into horses to enjoy Creaky Acres? No, not really. Like all middle grade stories, this is more a story of friendship than of horses. The horses just bind everyone together.

Nora loves her current teachers and stable. She loves going to competitions and winning ribbons. So, she hates that the new horse stable, and the new group of friends are only interested in riding for fun, and have never gone to a competition.

What I like in this story is how Nora grows. How she realizes that friendships are more important than competition. Well, actually, she still wants to compete, but she wants her new friends to compete for fun, and not worry about winning ribbons, even though she has thought that was what was important in the past.

It is a long rode to get there. But it is a good road. She finds that making friends really is more important, because that is what you carry with yourself.

Great story for kids that are both new, as well as those that are outcast. Even nonhorse people will enjoy this, just for how the friendships build in the story.

This book was published this year, in 2025.

friends friendship graphic-novels

Nicole Miller

774 reviews5 followers

March 12, 2025

I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

I loved this graphic novel! I loved the characters, the horses, the cow, the “not-a-mule”, the goat, the opossum—all of it was great. I sped through this happily, laughing out loud and loving Nora’s journey. I loved the exploration of Nora’s struggle with racial stereotyping and her own stereotypes of those who live in the countryside. The illustrations are perfect and I love that there is even some basic information about horses and horseback riding. I mean this book has everything: horses, moving, DnD-like role-playing game, horses, bullying, being embarrassed by your dad, animal fashion show judged by (appropriately) an animal, did I mention horses? A fun, yet informative book for anyone who is moving somewhere new, is a minority in their new town, or likes horses (although whoever reads this book might start liking horses after reading).

borntobealibrarian

23 reviews1 follower

April 11, 2025

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

As a child who moved frequently and had amazing friends that I left behind, I connected with this book right from the start. It is a well written graphic novel that pulls readers in quickly and keeps them engaged with charming animals, adorable humor, and emerging friendships. The main character, Nora, leaves her town full of friends, a great barn, and an amazing horse show trainer. She ends up in Greenville and Creaky Acres is her new barn, which is much less sophisticated than her previous one. This new barn is in disrepair and they don’t compete in shows. Can Nora find a way to feel at home in her new town?

It is perfect for readers who may be experiencing an upcoming move and/or readers who love horses, opossums, goats, and all sorts of animals.

Cute humor, relatable story, and I was completely smitten with the animals and their adorable personalities.

Summer

1,133 reviews

June 3, 2025

Nora’s a likable young heroine, she has her flawed moments like we all do and there’s a solid, relatable arc here as her family moves and she has to adjust to new people and new surroundings, with some friendships blossoming along the way and some work to do on her horse jumping technique.

There’s a sprinkling of serious subject matter in this one, some racist moments at Nora’s new school as well as some bullying, that stuff isn’t magically resolved as it never is in real life either, but it’s handled pretty well here including a good talk between Nora and her dad and Nora stepping up for someone else, as I said, she’s a likable heroine.

Sticklers for realism might have some issues with the horse competition, but it plays out in a sweet way and overall this graphic novel is an entertaining read with adorable illustrations.

Meggie Ramm

Author 6 books29 followers

November 12, 2025

I have been WAITING for a horse YA graphic novel and Creaky Acres DELIVERED. This comic has all the components needed to make a great one shot story: a ragtag group of kids with effluent personalities, insight into a sport that I know next to nothing about, and a passel of possums, just for fun. Nora feels so real, I like that she’s a bit of a brat when she moves into her new stable. She’s used to her life being a certain way, but she’s young and blames everyone else before realizing she has the agency to change her perspective. That might sound heavy, but this book is still delightful. Nora deals with racist comments at school but also puts on a horse fashion show. And there are horse anatomy guides and care walkthroughs to delight any horse girl (or horse person). Great for folks who liked Fresh Start or Stepping Stones.

kids-comics-favs

S.Matt Read

106 reviews1 follower

April 24, 2025

What a surprisingly fun graphic novel! I am neither a young girl nor a horse aficionado, but what I am is a lover of great characters, and this book has plenty.

Protagonist Nora moves to a rural community and has to learn to adapt, make new friends, and become a leader. She's surrounded by likeable but strange new young people, and she longs for the normalcy of where she came from. But the longer she's in her new place, the more she sees where she fits in, and everything starts to click into place.

Race and microaggressions are touched upon as a character trial, and the parents give some great advice. However, it's not dwelled upon or used as a plot device.

Honest interactions fueled by great characters drives this book forward. Big recommendation!

ARC provided by publisher.

Pam

9,815 reviews54 followers

June 4, 2025

Graphic Novel
Readers meet Nora as her family moves to a new location. It is completely different from where they were and she struggles to adjust. The story centers around her methods of coping with the changes and figuring out how to make friends and find her place. Her passion is horse riding and competing in tournaments. When she learns that the new stable, Creaky Acres, does not compete, her dad encourages her to compete as an individual. This leads to her becoming a coach for the other kids who ride at this stable. She figures out how to create a space for herself, find friends, stand up to bullies, and cope with being the only Black child in the school. Brill conveys all of this while threading humor through as well.

comics-graphic-novels-non-fiction middle-grades

Jayna Wheeler

75 reviews

July 18, 2025

Absolutely adorable book I think any horse obsessed kiddo would enjoy! My inner child thrived reading this and I think it could be a really special book to many kids

I think the art style is super fun and cute and there are a lot of really cute animals throughout.

I think it deals with tough subjects well to either give the reader something to relate to and be inspired by or introduce readers to something they personally wouldn’t experience.

If I had read this when I was a kid it would for sure be my favorite book. I feel like I grew up riding at a creaky acres so I would have loved reading this

Kiara Brinkman

Author 4 books17 followers

August 13, 2025

This is such a satisfying read. All the drama (new town, new school), and all the sweetness (lots of possums, a silly goat, and even a beautiful mule).
Nora has trouble making friends at her new school, where she is the only black student and faces a series of microaggressions. She also doesn't seem to fit in at her new stable, which seems to be in disrepair and lacks the discipline she's used to . . . how and where will Nora find her people?
I'm a sucker for any story about outsider kids coming together!
Bonus--the inclusion of two boy characters, including a boy rider, because boys love horses, too!!

middle-grade-graphic-novel

Pam Page

1,364 reviews

May 23, 2025

This graphic novel stands out—not just for its detailed world of stables, riding, and gear, but for the powerful story. The story helps kids know what it feels like to be the new kid, especially when you're dropped into a world that doesn’t seem to measure up to what you’ve left behind. Nora’s journey questions the idea of what it really means to be a "winner." Is it about ribbons and polish, or kindness and growth? What a great message for kids navigating change, pride, and finding where they belong.

graphic-novels

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