Once again, G. Neri has done what he does best: taken a real-life
scenario and turned it into compelling fiction. Cole's authentic
voice will resonate with readers—it grabbed me right from the start
and wouldn’t let me go. An outstanding book! – Coe Booth, author of
the Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner Tyrell
The unique subject matter alone makes this a book worth picking up.
Cole’s heartwarming, heartrending voice, his struggle, and his
triumph, make this a book worth reading to the end.–Sundee T.
Frazier, author of the Coretta Scott King / John Steptoe New Talent
Award Winner Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It
Ghetto Cowboy is an exceptional and deeply moving story about a
father and son finding their way to each other and a community
daring to fight for what they believe in. G. Neri has created a
story that ropes us in and saddles us up for a heartwarming ride. –
Hope Anita Smith, author of the Coretta Scott King Honor Winner
Keeping the Night Watch
This well-written book is based on a true story of urban cowboys in
Philadelphia and New York. Cole's spot-on emotional insight is
conveyed through believable dialogue and the well-paced plot offers
information about a little-known aspect of African-American history
as well as a portrait of contemporary urban stable life. Watson's
illustrations punctuate the intriguing aspects of the story and
make the novel more appealing.
—School Library Journal
A fascinating glimpse of a culture most readers will not have heard
of.
—Kirkus Reviews
Neri's story is original in theme and inspirational in tone and
content.
—Booklist
Coltrane's narration is written in easy-reading colloquial
language, making the book a likely sell to reluctant readers and
possibility for older readalouds.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
There’s an honesty to the book and to the changes Cole experiences.
And while the story itself may contain a happy ending for both boy
and horse, that doesn’t mean it’s an easy ending for either of
them...Definitely recommended for everyone.
—A Fuse 8 Production (SLJ blog)
A heartwarming story about inner-city kids who bond with a band of
forgotten race horses. . . . The great morality lesson here is not
the only beauty of the story. The rhythm of the writing, the smells
and sounds of the neighborhood, the developing relationship between
a boy and his estranged father add up to an appealing novel,
especially for an under-written-for segment of young male
readers.
—The Christian Science Monitor
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