#g. neri

[quotelr]

When gangs took over the [abandoned public land in Philadelphia] and the neighborhood took a turn for the worse, horses became a way of saving lives. By getting boys interested in raising a horse rather than killing another human being, these cowboys gave the youth something positive: father figures, focus, and the ability to stand tall.

G. Neri, Ghetto Cowboy

[blackchildrensbooksandauthors]

✨NEW October Middle-Grade Book✨  

📖Polo Cowboy

G. Neri

Jesse Joshua Watson

‎Candlewick

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. …

Available Now👉🏿 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Go HERE for more October new releases by Black authors.

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[underthetweed]

Concrete Cowboy Is a New Kind of Boy-and-His-Horse Movie | Vanity Fair

I loved this movie, and now it’s coming to Netflix!

[leeandlow]

G. Neri on the Inspiration Behind Grand Theft Horse: "Gail's a Superhero to Me"

G. Neri on the Inspiration Behind Grand Theft Horse: “Gail’s a Superhero to Me”

This fall we released a new graphic novel by Coretta Scott King award-winning author G. Neri called Grand Theft Horse, which retells the life of his cousin Gail, a pioneer who challenged the horse racing world for the sake of one extraordinary horse. The graphic novel has already received two starred reviews:

“The graphic novel world isn’t full of true stories about nearly sixty-year-old, women…

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[vulpixbookpix]

Safe Passage by G. Neri, David Brame (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

This is a harrowing, yet compelling story of how gang violence in Chicago affects the SouthSide and how people have tried to create "Safe Passage" for kids to get to school without getting beaten up or shot at--which isn't something that kids should be worrying about to begin with. On the one-year anniversary of the death of Darius's mother, his friend, Booger, talks him into skipping school to go track down where an armored truck has gotten into a wreck. People are posting videos of money flying all over the place and Booger gets the great idea that they can gather up a lot of the money and no one would be the wiser. At first, Darius is all for it because he caught a glimpse of the second eviction notice on the kitchen table, where his stepdad is also scouring the newspapers to try and find a job. Booger decides to post the empty bank bag they found on social media and it goes viral. Which... they quickly realize isn't the kind of attention they want when they have to cross several gang territories to get back home. Unfortunately, Darius's little sister, Cissy, follows them instead of going to school, which puts her in danger as well. The art is strictly black and white, which really works for focusing on the plot and not the setting / surroundings. It especially works when blood appears in the panels for those who may be a little squeamish. The story puts the reader in the turmoil of the characters growing up in a violent area, but also shows how kids notice the misfortunes that fall upon the adults as well, despite the attempts to pretend that everything is okay by the grown-ups. I feel like it also touches on how a person shouldn't post everything they do on social media because it can wind up blowing up in their faces or how there are fake personas everywhere (like in the case of "White Mike.") Just an overall great read.

[jewishbookworld]

When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon & Garfunkel by G. Neri David Litchfield, illustrator From childhood friendship to brief teenage stardom, from early failures to musical greatness — the incredible story of how Simon & Garfunkel became a cherished voice of their generation.

[hmhbooks]

Fans of Harper Lee and Truman Capote will enjoy this middle grade novel based on their childhood friendship. 👦🏼🎄👧🏻

Get TRU & NELLE: A Christmas Tale by G. Neri here!

It’s Day 28 of HMH’s holiday gift guide! Every day until December 24, we’ll be sharing gift recommendations for everyone on your list.

[losreviews]

Comic Review #31: Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty

Hello readers, it’s been a while! This month has been... a lot. Here’s the bit relevant to y’all: I have a bunch of reviews from my Children’s Lit Reviewing class that I’m going to share over the course of the week! These are revised versions of originals that I turned in, and they’re meant to be the kind of reviews you’d see in School Library Journal or The Bulletin, so stylistically you’ll catch some differences. Hopefully that’s fun for you? The first is Yummy by G. Neri, illustrated by Randy Duburke.

It can be difficult to wrap one’s head around the complex issues that feed into gang violence in Chicago. Yummy is a partially fictionalized account of the tragic death of Robert “Yummy” Sandifer, a real eleven year-old who killed a girl his age while trying to establish himself as a member of the Black Disciples. The story plays out through the eyes of a made-up eleven year-old named Roger, and jumps to different points in time as Roger reflects on Yummy’s tumultuous childhood, experiences with domestic violence, poverty, and bullying, and struggles to reconcile the dissonance between the vibrant, candy-loving boy and tenacious gang member that inhabited the same body.

Neri includes actual news reports and commentary from lawyers, police officers and professors that resemble accounts any reader may have seen on television. However, fabricated stories from neighbors, family and friends add a layer of nuance. Yummy becomes much more than a mug shot or a number; he’s a child desperate for recognition and a sense of belonging. The best summary of the book is the panel in which a watery-eyed Yummy holds up a gun given to him by the leader of the Black Disciples and reveals, “Nobody never gave me nothin’ before.”

Duburke inked the book entirely in black and white, allowing him to show snippets of terrible violence without them being overly graphic or triggering. This tactic makes many moments more emotional; shading under Yummy’s eyes or shadows on his face reveal both his fragile youth and frightening determination. Dark, shadowy backgrounds give the sense that gang violence is haunting the entire community, and there is no easy way to escape it. This is a must-have graphic novel for librarians and educators looking to discuss the intersections of poverty, racism, abuse, gun violence and gang affiliation.