Stuck by Becky Mushko is a wonderful coming of age story with horses and ghosts added to the mix.
Jacie has a lot to deal with for a fifth grader - her mother's illness and then death, her father's busy work schedule and being forced to pick a summer camp to attend. She decides on a horse camp although she has never been around them. The session helps her heal emotionally as she makes progress in her riding and enjoys new friendships. But when camp ends, Jacie has another turmoil in her young life - her dad has met an old schoolmate and they plan to be married and move to a farm.
It's almost more than Jacie can bear especially when she is sent to live with her future stepmother on the farm before her dad joins them.
Then she meets a ghost from that location, and as she tries to help the lost soul Jacie finds out that her life isn't so bad after all.
The story is realistic even though it has supernatural elements. The author pulls the reader into Jacie's chaotic life right from the first page and chapter, making the reader want to see how it all turns out.
Visit the author's website at http://www.beckymushko.com/
