Do you think you could follow the cowboy way? The book Ghetto Cowboy is a realistic fiction that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This book was very good because it was suspenseful, had a great plot, and kept you wondering till the very end.The story took place in Philadelphia in a small violent neighborhood. This book is about a troublemaker named Cole who is dumped by his mother into the hands of Harper, his father, who he never met. While Cole is living with his dad, he has a hard time changing into his style of cowboy way living by having to take care of horses, race horses and help others. Cole hated being a cowboy at first and spent his whole time trying to get back to his mother, but never succeeded. After a few days, he begins to respect the cowboy way and become one himself with his horse, just like his father. The city officials never liked having horse stables in the middle of the city, so they tried many times to get rid of it. One day they succeeded. Everything became terrible for the cowboys, but they didn’t give up. They fought back, rallied and took back what they loved. After this, everything was right in the world and Cole was closer to his father than ever before. The conflict of this story is person vs. society because the city was against the cowboys’ way of living. Cole is a 12-year-old African-American boy who always caused trouble till he met his father. Harper, Cole’s father, is an amazing character who spends a lot of time with horses and helping others out by keeping them out of gangs or just being their friend.I liked the way the author started the book with Cole being a troublemaker and then ending it with him being a good person and closer to his dad. The structure of the book was really good because it was organized and easy to follow. My favorite part was when Harper raced his horse and showed Cole that he was the better racer because he won. This is my favorite part because every dad does something to impress their son and Harper’s way is by racing. An interesting thing I learned from the story is that the term cowboy was created by African Americans. Based on TV and books never have I read or seen anything having to do with African-Americans starting the word “cowboy”. The Ghetto cowboy is a great title for the book because it basically tells you what the book is going to be about, cowboys in the city.The character changed a lot throughout the story. He started as a troublemaker, but ended up being a nice kid fighting for what he loved just the way his father did. The author’s purpose is to entertain and inform the reader that there is more than life than joining gangs or being a thug. Life is meant to live with others and have fun just like Cole and Harper did with their horses, family and friends. The character had many motivations in the story, such as to get together with his mom and to save his horse Boo. I thought the ending of the book was really good because Cole was reunited with his dad and mom, which straightened out his life. This book was really good because it taught me so many things in such a great way. This book is suspenseful, heartwarming and has a great plot.Overall, this book was amazing and inspired me to spend more time with my family and fight for what I love. If I had to rate this book I would rate this book 10 out of 10 because it is a great book with lots of adventure and family bonding. I recommend this book to those who love a wholehearted story. Do you have the qualities of being strong, brave and determined? Well you are a cowboy. Fantastic book!I loved the characters, especially Cole. When I taught 7th grade, I taught hundreds of Coles, and I wish I had this book then!The message of the Cowboy Way is a strong one.I met the author a few weeks ago and enjoyed his talk about the real life Cowboys in Philly that inspired this story. Neri's books are definitely ones to check out and use in the classroom as connections to real events.
What do You think about Ghetto Cowboy (2011)?
I really liked the book even though the ending was kind of weird. Every chapter had a new problem
—Jannat
Great book to talk about and read when it comes to talking about diversity in a classroom.
—Nyree
Mucking stalls, and riding horses seems to be good therapy for the boys in this ghetto.
—Chinyere
i found myself wanting to read it almost every hour of the day.
—rnm1969
