Ghetto Cowboy

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