Polo Cowboy

Name: Polo Cowboy
Brand: Brilliance Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: G. Neri
ISBN: 9781713629894

Author: G. Neri

Narrator: James Shippy

Unabridged: 5 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Candlewick on Brilliance Audio

Published: 10/12/2021

Categories: Children's Fiction, Sports Stories, Animal Stories, African American & Black Stories

Synopsis

How does a Black kid from North Philly wind up playing polo? The much-anticipated sequel to Ghetto Cowboy, now a major motion picture starring Idris Elba and Stranger Things’s Caleb McLaughlin.When Cole moves in with his dad, Harp, he thinks life will be sweet—just him and his horse, Boo, hanging out with Philadelphia’s urban cowboys. But when Harp says he has to get a job, Cole winds up as a stable hand for the polo team at George Washington Military Academy, where the players are rich, white, and stuck-up—all except Ruthie, the team’s first and only girl, who’s determined to show the others she can beat them at their own game. As Cole and Ruthie become friends—and maybe more—he starts imagining his future, maybe even at the academy. But between long workdays, arrogant polo players, and a cousin trying to pull Cole into his dangerous business, that future seems remote. Will Cole find the courage to stand and be seen in a world determined to keep him out? With striking illustrations by Jesse Joshua Watson, celebrated author G. Neri’s novel weaves themes of tenacity and community into a rousing sports story inspired by Philadelphia’s real-life urban cowboys and polo players.

About G. Neri

G. Neri is the author of the Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor Book Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty along with many other books for young readers, including Ghetto Cowboy; Hello, I’m Johnny Cash; and When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon and Garfunkel. His books have been translated into multiple languages in more than twenty-five countries. He lives with his family on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jill on October 18, 2021

The author writes in an afterword that he doesn’t like doing sequels, but what can you do when fans are clamoring to hear more about your characters and their stories? I felt the same way at the end of this book as I did at the end of the author’s preceding book on this subject, Ghetto Cowboy: i.e.,......more

Goodreads review by James on February 26, 2023

Lots of fun from beginning to end with many twists and turns. I wouldn’t mind being a cowboy but not a polo player.......more

Goodreads review by Danielle on December 15, 2021

I read this book without reading the first book and the author did an excellent job of making that situation not an issue at all by scattering background/previous events throughout the chapters. I enjoyed learning about the game of polo and more about taking care of horses as well as the history of......more

Goodreads review by Karen on October 22, 2021

This is a biased review because I love G. Neri! This is a refreshing read because it integrates a sport and career that few African Americans participate in: polo and cowboys. The story is set in Philadelphia which truly makes it interesting, because most people will not associate cowboys and urban......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on October 24, 2021

This long-awaited sequel to Ghetto Cowboys is a 3.5 for me. The author's writing style draws readers in, making them feel as though they are part of the story, and prompting them to root for the protagonist. Since the book picks up where the previous title left off, readers might want to read that o......more

Quotes

“James Shippy narrates this sequel to GHETTO COWBOY (2011), which is the basis for the new Netflix movie CONCRETE COWBOY.... Shippy strikes a realistic balance between a gritty teen in a tough neighborhood and a thoughtful kid trying to do the right thing. White polo players bully Cole and Ruthie, the academy's only Black cadet. Shippy portrays these players as snobbish but not so awful as to be irredeemable.” —AudioFile Magazine“Polo and cowboys come together, with a main character who will leap off the page and into readers’ hearts, in this moving story of growing up and grit.”
—School Library Journal (starred review)“Neri gives readers a look into another type of equestrian life while maintaining the tone and style readers appreciated in Cole’s cowboy journey. . . A skillful sequel that adds new layers to a coming-of-age story.”
—Kirkus Reviews