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rebekahy's review
5.0
This was an absolutely amazing read. Touches on subjects like body image, bullying, youth offending and the effects on the family, homelessness and reasons behind it... judging a book by its cover or a person by their appearance. A perfect book for a young adult/pre teen to read I think.
katykelly's review
5.0
Friendship, family, grief and finding inner strength.
Lenny is that kid your heart aches for, if you're an adult reading this. If you're a kid, you'll know someone like him. You might even be him. He's the one who doesn't fit in, who attracts the attention of bullies for something he can't help, the student who's different.
And this story gives backstory to that. A history that shows just what we hide from other people, the guilt we carry, the secrets we don't talk about in our families. And also the ways we can help each other.
Lenny's brother no longer lives at home. His parents don't like to talk about it. Lenny misses him, and talks about the guilt he feels. Just where is his brother? He aches for his dad to pay him some attention, do things with him. For his mum to show him she cares. At school he is constantly picked on because of his size. Even when he truants to escape them, a homeless man shouts at him for throwing a crisp packet.
But that is the start of a surprising friendship, as Lenny gets to know Bruce, and the two embark on a very sweet and illuminating journey that gives readers insight into the lives of both those without homes and those whose homes are lonely and sad.
I really savoured the story, watching the way each of the two protagonists brought something out in the other. And the vision of a friendship spanning decades, one responsibly portrayed, of equals and mutual support. There are some moving scenes, including that of a bullying expose in school, and a road trip, with mutual secrets gradually uncovered as trust develops.
There is a lot here that young readers may be affected by, it is a wonderful chance to explore some important themes of family relationships, bullying, homelessness.
An author who always brings readers memorable characters and identifiable plots.
For ages 10-14.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
Lenny is that kid your heart aches for, if you're an adult reading this. If you're a kid, you'll know someone like him. You might even be him. He's the one who doesn't fit in, who attracts the attention of bullies for something he can't help, the student who's different.
And this story gives backstory to that. A history that shows just what we hide from other people, the guilt we carry, the secrets we don't talk about in our families. And also the ways we can help each other.
Lenny's brother no longer lives at home. His parents don't like to talk about it. Lenny misses him, and talks about the guilt he feels. Just where is his brother? He aches for his dad to pay him some attention, do things with him. For his mum to show him she cares. At school he is constantly picked on because of his size. Even when he truants to escape them, a homeless man shouts at him for throwing a crisp packet.
But that is the start of a surprising friendship, as Lenny gets to know Bruce, and the two embark on a very sweet and illuminating journey that gives readers insight into the lives of both those without homes and those whose homes are lonely and sad.
I really savoured the story, watching the way each of the two protagonists brought something out in the other. And the vision of a friendship spanning decades, one responsibly portrayed, of equals and mutual support. There are some moving scenes, including that of a bullying expose in school, and a road trip, with mutual secrets gradually uncovered as trust develops.
There is a lot here that young readers may be affected by, it is a wonderful chance to explore some important themes of family relationships, bullying, homelessness.
An author who always brings readers memorable characters and identifiable plots.
For ages 10-14.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
charlyy_chan's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
alongreader's review
5.0
Lenny is, in his own words, fat, jelly, blubber. The kids at his school never let him forget it, either, with snide remarks and 'funny' jokes all day. The teachers don't do much to rein it in, so sometimes Lenny cuts out and sits on his favourite bench by the river. That's where he's sitting the day he meets Bruce. And that's the day things start to change.
Brian's books usually smack me in the face, in the best way. This one wasn't as sharp; it was slower, more gradual, a figuring things out rather than having them spelt out to me. That's not a complaint; I like both ways, and it was nice not to go through quite as many tissues crying this time. (Still a few, though.)
Below you'll find my favourite quote from the book. This one really hit me;
"Ever since I caught you littering that day, you have brought nothing but joy to me."
"You mean that, Bruce? You really mean it?"
"Of course I mean it. If only you knew how much."
This is a wonderful story about a family who mean well but can't communicate it, a boy who's terrified of the one thing he wants most but brave enough to go after it anyway, and a man who, for no reason but kindness, helps him. I loved reading it. I'd love to see it in classrooms; I think it would do really well as a school novel, as well as for pleasure reading. (No reason they can't overlap, of course!)
Fantastic. I'm so glad I got to read it.
Brian's books usually smack me in the face, in the best way. This one wasn't as sharp; it was slower, more gradual, a figuring things out rather than having them spelt out to me. That's not a complaint; I like both ways, and it was nice not to go through quite as many tissues crying this time. (Still a few, though.)
Below you'll find my favourite quote from the book. This one really hit me;
"Ever since I caught you littering that day, you have brought nothing but joy to me."
"You mean that, Bruce? You really mean it?"
"Of course I mean it. If only you knew how much."
This is a wonderful story about a family who mean well but can't communicate it, a boy who's terrified of the one thing he wants most but brave enough to go after it anyway, and a man who, for no reason but kindness, helps him. I loved reading it. I'd love to see it in classrooms; I think it would do really well as a school novel, as well as for pleasure reading. (No reason they can't overlap, of course!)
Fantastic. I'm so glad I got to read it.
lucyy_bxo's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
3.0
It took me a while to get through, but I did enjoy this book. The colloquialisms felt forced at times and I was unfamiliar with many of them, but I got more into the book despite it. A sweet and pleasant read for a children’s book
scottiesandbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.75
“”So it doesn’t matter if there’s people around us or not. Being sad and lonely comes from in here.” With a boxers fist Bruce thumps his heart twice; so hard, I hear the hollowness of his chest. “In here and nowhere else.””
Cardboard Cowboys tells the story of Lenny, a kid who is often picked on due to his size and never fits in. A kid who isn’t noticed at home and noticed for all the wrong reasons at school. A kid with so so much talent that he cannot recognise in himself because of how society has made him feel.
Cardboard Cowboys also tells the story of Bruce. From the get go you know Bruce is an absolute legend. FACT! At first Lenny doesn’t know what to make of the homeless man chasing him away from his plunky bench, but as time goes on they help each other in ways that you would not expect.
For a middle grade book CC packs such a punch! It has so many valuable lessons on bullying and being bullied for those children looking to move up schools. It also has lessons about loving yourself, body image, family life and things that only some kids will ever experience.
I will say at points Bruce had me on edge wondering what his intentions actually were with Lenny. I was scared that Brian was going to be promoting befriending some dodgy adults to kids. But it all works itself out in the end!
As a 31 year old woman it still taught me some valuable lessons. It doesn’t read like a children’s novel which must be so refreshing for any young kid to read! It deals with things that they will face so openly and honestly and at the same time will have everyone in the room howling with laughter from the get go!
This book is legendary! FACT!
Cardboard Cowboys tells the story of Lenny, a kid who is often picked on due to his size and never fits in. A kid who isn’t noticed at home and noticed for all the wrong reasons at school. A kid with so so much talent that he cannot recognise in himself because of how society has made him feel.
Cardboard Cowboys also tells the story of Bruce. From the get go you know Bruce is an absolute legend. FACT! At first Lenny doesn’t know what to make of the homeless man chasing him away from his plunky bench, but as time goes on they help each other in ways that you would not expect.
For a middle grade book CC packs such a punch! It has so many valuable lessons on bullying and being bullied for those children looking to move up schools. It also has lessons about loving yourself, body image, family life and things that only some kids will ever experience.
I will say at points Bruce had me on edge wondering what his intentions actually were with Lenny. I was scared that Brian was going to be promoting befriending some dodgy adults to kids. But it all works itself out in the end!
As a 31 year old woman it still taught me some valuable lessons. It doesn’t read like a children’s novel which must be so refreshing for any young kid to read! It deals with things that they will face so openly and honestly and at the same time will have everyone in the room howling with laughter from the get go!
This book is legendary! FACT!
opheliastephanie's review
5.0
What the (middle grade) world needs right now? This book.
This was absolutely brilliant. As a bookseller I can tell you that children read a great deal in Primary school but we start to lose them to homework, technology and a lack of books that are excellently written with a strong story. This is a book to bring readers back.
I was a little worried at the beginning as there is quite a lot of colloquialism and as I meet a lot of children with English as their 2nd/3rd language then this can be off-putting but the story had enough pull and mystery that I carried on reading and oh my goodness I am so thrilled I did.
You can read about the book in the blurb, I just want to use up all this space to try to encourage people to pick it up and read it themselves or buy it for all the children aged 9-15 that they know!
This was absolutely brilliant. As a bookseller I can tell you that children read a great deal in Primary school but we start to lose them to homework, technology and a lack of books that are excellently written with a strong story. This is a book to bring readers back.
I was a little worried at the beginning as there is quite a lot of colloquialism and as I meet a lot of children with English as their 2nd/3rd language then this can be off-putting but the story had enough pull and mystery that I carried on reading and oh my goodness I am so thrilled I did.
You can read about the book in the blurb, I just want to use up all this space to try to encourage people to pick it up and read it themselves or buy it for all the children aged 9-15 that they know!