Ghetto Cowboy / Greg Neri / 218 pages / Notable Children's Book 2012

Cole's mom has lost all patience with him.  He keeps skipping school and the truancy officer insists that it has to stop.  He has missed so much school that he must attend summer school if he is to pass his current grade.  When he continues cutting, his mom takes him to live with his father in inner city Philly.  Cole has never met his father before and is shocked to learn that his father is a ghetto cowboy and faces a seemingly unwinnable fight with the city for control of his land, stables, and horses.  Cole is instrumental in winning this battle.  This is an excellent read filled with action, ideals, and family/group dynamics.  "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."