A heartwarming graphic novel about being the new kid in middle school, making new friends, and learning to trust yourself through the power of horseback riding—perfect for fans of Victoria Jamieson's Roller Girl.
“Readers will fall in love with Nora and her quirky crew, the world of Creaky Acres, and all the horses . . . and cows . . . and possums!” —Varian Johnson, award-winning author of Twins
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 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.
Praise for Creaky Acres: A Graphic Novel by Calista Brill and Nilah Magruder; Illustrated by Nilah Magruder:
A Junior Library Guild selection May/June 2025 Kids' Indie Next List (middle grade) Indie Bestsellers List (#5)
“Expressive. . .and zippy. [A story] about seeing and being seen beyond first impressions and outward appearances.” —School Library Journal
“Appealing…friendship and a love of horses transcend race and class division. The artwork is expressive and highlights the characters’ feelings.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Heartwarming…[a] quirky collaboration that will satisfy horse girls and fish out of water alike.” —Publishers Weekly
“Readers will fall in love with Nora and her quirky crew, the world of Creaky Acres, and all the horses . . . and cows . . . and possums!” —Varian Johnson, award-winning author of Twins
“A heartwarming story about adjusting to change while unknowingly making room for new adventures.” —Shannon Wright, award-winning illustrator of Twins and Holding Her Own
“An unbridled joy to read that brought my inner horse girl out!” —Gabriela Epstein, bestselling author of Danny Phantom: A Glitch in Time
Calista Brill is a writer and editor based in New England, where she lives with her family and either too many or too few house spiders, depending on how you feel about spiders. She has fallen off as many horses as she has ridden, which is a lot. Although Calista has yet to achieve her life's dream of petting a possum, she has read a lot of comic books, sewed a few quilts, and eaten an appropriate number of lime Popsicles (also a lot).
Nilah Magruder is the author of M.F.K., How to Find a Fox, and Wutaryoo. She has written comics, illustrated children's books, and worked as a writer and storyboard artist for animation. Nilah lives in Maryland and spends her free time baking, gardening, and wrangling her dogs, cats, and chickens. Find her at NilahMagruder.com.
A heartwarming graphic novel about being the new kid in middle school, making new friends, and learning to trust yourself through the power of horseback riding—perfect for fans of Victoria Jamieson's Roller Girl.
“Readers will fall in love with Nora and her quirky crew, the world of Creaky Acres, and all the horses . . . and cows . . . and possums!” —Varian Johnson, award-winning author of Twins
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 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.
Praise
Praise for Creaky Acres: A Graphic Novel by Calista Brill and Nilah Magruder; Illustrated by Nilah Magruder:
A Junior Library Guild selection May/June 2025 Kids' Indie Next List (middle grade) Indie Bestsellers List (#5)
“Expressive. . .and zippy. [A story] about seeing and being seen beyond first impressions and outward appearances.” —School Library Journal
“Appealing…friendship and a love of horses transcend race and class division. The artwork is expressive and highlights the characters’ feelings.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Heartwarming…[a] quirky collaboration that will satisfy horse girls and fish out of water alike.” —Publishers Weekly
“Readers will fall in love with Nora and her quirky crew, the world of Creaky Acres, and all the horses . . . and cows . . . and possums!” —Varian Johnson, award-winning author of Twins
“A heartwarming story about adjusting to change while unknowingly making room for new adventures.” —Shannon Wright, award-winning illustrator of Twins and Holding Her Own
“An unbridled joy to read that brought my inner horse girl out!” —Gabriela Epstein, bestselling author of Danny Phantom: A Glitch in Time
Author
Calista Brill is a writer and editor based in New England, where she lives with her family and either too many or too few house spiders, depending on how you feel about spiders. She has fallen off as many horses as she has ridden, which is a lot. Although Calista has yet to achieve her life's dream of petting a possum, she has read a lot of comic books, sewed a few quilts, and eaten an appropriate number of lime Popsicles (also a lot).
Nilah Magruder is the author of M.F.K., How to Find a Fox, and Wutaryoo. She has written comics, illustrated children's books, and worked as a writer and storyboard artist for animation. Nilah lives in Maryland and spends her free time baking, gardening, and wrangling her dogs, cats, and chickens. Find her at NilahMagruder.com.
