Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Ghetto Cowboy


"You never know what someone will do with his life once he finds himself."

From G. Neri's website:
"When Cole's mom dumps him in mean streets of Philly to live with the dad he's never met, the last thing Cole expects to see is a horse--let alone a stable full of them. He may not know much about cowboys, but what he knows for sure is that cowboys ain't black and they don't live in the inner city!  But on Chester Avenue, horses are a way of life, and soon Cole's days of goofing off and skipping school in Detroit have been replaced by shoveling muck and trying not to get stomped on.

“Crazy as it may seem, the lifestyle grows on Cole, and he starts to think that maybe life as a ghetto cowboy isn’t so bad. But when the City threatens to shut down the stables—and take away the horse that Cole has come to think of as his own—he knows that he has to fight back.

“Inspired by the real-life inner-city horsemen of Philadelphia and Brooklyn, Ghetto Cowboy is a timeless urban western about learning to stand up for what’s right—the Cowboy Way.”

Hold your horses and stampede to your local library or bookstore! Wrangle yourself a copy of Ghetto Cowboy and giddy-up reading.

Stop. Hold the horse puns. This is not your typical horse story. In fact, I cannot wait to give this book to some of my "traditional horse story readers" in class. They will be amazed at the inner-city horse world that opens up in front of them.

I found this story interesting from the beginning and believable until the very end. I was rooting for Cole and Harper, Jamaica Bob and Tex, and even Smush and Snapper. Kids will love entering this cowboy world and learning the Cowboy Way. 

Visit G. Teri's website HERE.  Make sure to watch the book trailer HERE.

Happy Reading! 

Mrs. T

P.S.  Reading is like breathing chocolate air! 

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

The Runaway King

It is appropriate that I should come back to my very neglected blog with Jennifer Nielsen's The Runaway King.  The last book I posted about back in January *hanging head in shame* was The False Prince, the first book in The Ascendance Trilogy. Jaron is back in The Runaway King, and I couldn't be happier.

The second installment in Nielsen's series is just as engrossing as the first. Jaron will take you along on his adventure to keep the crown...by fleeing the throne!


"Just weeks after Jaron has taken the throne, an assassination attempt forces him into a deadly situation.  Rumors of a coming war are winding their way between the castle walls, and Jaron feels the pressure quietly mounting within Carthya.  Soon, it becomes clear that deserting the kingdom may be his only hope of saving it.

"As his adventures lead him into dangerous new territory, Jaron must learn to tell his friends from his enemies and decide who he can trust--if he can trust anyone at all.  But the further Jaron is forced to run from his identity, the more he wonders if it is possible to go too far.  Will he ever be able to return home again?  Or will he have to sacrifice his own life to save his kingdom?"


To my former students: I have introduced you to The False Prince. You must read this first book if you haven't yet and quickly go check out The Runaway King so as not to miss these books!

To my future students: I cannot wait to tell you all about Jaron and Carthya. This will be one series you'll want to put on your TBR list.

Check out Jennifer Nielsen's website HERE.  Get a sneak peek at the third book in The Ascendance Trilogy (The Shadow Throne) HERE.

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T

P.S.  Reading is like breathing chocolate air!