Ghetto Cowboy (the inspiration for Concrete Cowboy)

Praise

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