Like Horses at Rush Hour

Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri
Somerville, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2011.
218 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.    

I really got a kick out of this book.  The plot seems so ludicrous that I at first thought, this Neri has one crazy imagination.  I mean a wayward Detroit African-American kid sent by his mom to Philadelphia so he can straighten up with the father he has never known - who just happens to be a skilled horseman/cowboy living in the run down, inner city of Philly.  The thing is, it's based on real-life African-American, urban cowboys who have carried on this city tradition for nearly 100 years.

If you don't believe it, go over to G. Neri's website and brush up on your history - and get ready for a film version of the novel.

The novel is a touching coming of age story, involving the almost-teen Cole who has driven his mom to the edge with his growing misbehavior and bad attitude.  So she packs him in the car at night and takes him to Philadelphia where she literally dumps him with his father who he doesn't even know. After a rough start, the two start to bond and Cole - by working with horses - starts to figure out what the important things in life really are.  One of those values is taking a stand for tradition and culture against the greed of developers. 

There's a lot to recommend this story.  It angles a little young for high-schoolers, but I'll still recommend it, using the unreal situation of horses in the inner city as a selling point.

Horsepower

Grand Theft Horse by G. Neri [illus. by Corban Wilkin]
New York : Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books Inc., [2018]
220 p. : chiefly ill. ; 22 cm.

This is a beautiful story of a courageous woman who is a gifted horse trainer and takes a stand against the abusive horse racing industry in California.  The core of the story is the sacrifices she makes and the injustices she endures to uphold her commitment to the decent treatment of a horse under her care.   

The book tells the story of her life, and of how she got entangled with an absolutely horrid lawyer who helped her buy a race horse with exceptional potential, but then wanted her to exploit it for short term profits.  When she defies him, he spends years and gobs of money trying to ruin her.

This graphic novel is really a deep delve into what does it mean to have a meaningful life.  It asks the reader to really consider what is success, what is valuable, what is right and wrong. 

I liked this book a lot, but found it a little hard to get into at first.  I worry that it's beginning might discourage young adult readers, but I will definitely recommend it to those who want something more from their graphic novel than just adventure.