u/Affectionate_Tie5449

Middle-grade/YA realistic novel about a young Black boy in the rural South (or rural U.S.) who runs away with a friend because of problems at home. His strict father later leaves/provisions him in the woods to teach him survival and responsibility. The friend leaves early, but the boy stubbornly stays hidden for weeks in or near an abandoned farmhouse. He befriends a weak/sick horse (or possibly another farm animal) that later dies. Eventually the father finds him, regrets how harsh he was, and they reconcile.

That’s pretty much all I can remember. I’ve been trying to find this book for so long, I really hope someone has the answer. If I could access my test history from middle school I’d probably find it.