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Any other book, I would have abandoned by this point, but I want to read through the Newbery winners, so I had to keep going. It felt much like The Dark Frigate all over again I was tempted to just skim, but I stayed strong and slogged my way through. Then, all of a sudden, Will James got all racist on me. Will James jumps out and makes his boring redundant book, a racist, boring, redundant book. The narrator, stops to describe the guy. What did he just say? The breed beat Smoky with a stick.

The breed tried to sell him etc. I kept on reading. There are good horses and bully horses in the book, but the narrator is sympathetic to them all. The bullies have reasons to be mean. It seemed to me that James believed that people with dark skin were worth less than horses. A little while after I thought this, the narrator pretty much goes and says the same thing himself.

Smoky has become a cart-pulling horse, and a man of a dark complexion is beating Smoky with a whip. Clint takes the whip and starts beating the guy. It fits the tone of the book, and even seems a little poetic at times. The other issues I had with the book totally eclipse that.

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A committee of educated librarians thought that this was the best book of that year for kids? Smoky and the 8th Dr.


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I know the eight Dr. The more I think about this the more upset I get. The only thing making me hesitate is that shiny gold medal on the front. But to be honest, Smoky the Cow Horse has kind of taken some of the luster off of the Newbery for me. I need to keep reading them, to get that specialness back. Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon Sep 20, Wendy rated it it was ok Shelves: So glad I'm finally done with this book. The written-in-dialect thing is interesting, and occasionally even poetic, and I might have thought this was a fairly good book if it was really, really short.

Others have said it's sexist, but I don't agree about that--the one female character is a well-meaning "horse girl", and I thought she was depicted with surprising insight and sympathy. I shudder to think what parents and teachers would say if a book with such bad grammar was awarded a Newbery today.

I first read this book in the fifth grade oh, so long ago I re-read it every year until I graduated high school and loved it every time. I'm not sure I'd still love it quite so much if I was reading it for the first time as an adult, as I haven't read it since, but I look on it with fond memories. If you have a horse crazy son or daughter, I would definitely add this book to their library, right next to The Black Stallion , Black Beauty , Misty of Chincoteague and My Friend Fli I first read this book in the fifth grade oh, so long ago Although you might want to have a parent-y talk with them about racism, as the references to 'the half-breed'--the major villain of the book--obviously are very racist.

Mar 30, Josiah rated it it was amazing. My expectations for a book with the Newbery Medal on the cover are always sky high, but Smoky the Cowhorse meets those e "There was so much life wrapped up in that pony's hide that it was mighty hard for him to settle down and behave My expectations for a book with the Newbery Medal on the cover are always sky high, but Smoky the Cowhorse meets those expectations and more.

The plot is built with tremendous skill, and the laid-back cowboy narration and Will James's illustrations fit the narrative perfectly. The story fills me with every emotion possible, resounding throughout its pages as few books do. I am lucky to have read Smoky the Cowhorse. He couldn't get away from how he missed him. I read this book to my little girl who is now 26 when she was in the elementary first learning to read. It's a good horse book telling the life of Smoky and that part I think is what fascinates children. How he starts off shy and timid.

But when he's moved to the working ranch He toughens up gets stronger. I read this book when I was 12 and it left a very lasting impression on me. At one point in my life about 15 years ago I was in a book group and I said this book was one of my favorites.


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  • My friends, under the influence of wine, laughed. There is actually a Will James Society in Montana, so I think I am not crazy when I say that this book contributed greatly to my I read this book when I was 12 and it left a very lasting impression on me.

    Only Glenn Beck thinks empathy is a bad word. If you haven't read this book, I recommend reading it to your children, ages 10 and above because it is sad. But, like The Yearling, it is a classic. I re-read it to my own children in when I was going through emotional upheaval related to thyroid issues and because of that and I would end up crying while I read.

    This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book is about a cow horse named smokey it's written with western slang so you feel like your part of the book. This story starts in Colorado, and slowly makes it's way down to New Mexico. It all starts with an adventurous colt named smokey. He is part of a loving herd along with his mom. He gets in a lot of trouble, such as sticking his nose witch nearly gets scratched up by a wolf and having his mom save him.

    Later in the book Smokey gets rounded up in a corral. The bronc buster chooses This book is about a cow horse named smokey it's written with western slang so you feel like your part of the book. The bronc buster chooses him out of the herd. The bronc buster Clint tames smokey so well that when Clint passed out on a morning run Smokey carried him back to the ranch!

    The two become very good friends, and have a bond that no other rider could ever have with a horse. To find out more read the book , I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone! The illustrations are what set this edition apart. Front cover pasteboard, front and back endsheets, and 6 more color full page plates throughout the text.

    The first reproductions of James' oils.

    His art makes all the difference. His story isn't bad either; sort of standard Black Beauty West but for a kid's book it's all good stuff. I started out by reading animal stories; I loved them and this 'Smoky' is as good as it gets. But then there was this jolt a The illustrations are what set this edition apart. But then there was this jolt at page Maybe even could be considered progressive for the period of our shameful history. The worst of it is; that attitude is still to this day way too prevalent. The Bad Guys there are several are both of dark complexion.

    White Hat; Black Hat; ethics for the simple-minded. It's a shame he drank himself to an early grave. His art and writing both suffered as the alcohol took over his life. When I was a little kid; Cowboy was King. I seem to be going through a spell of obsessing on the life and works of Will James. First edition copies of his books are a tad expensive. Just can't see buying a modern reproduction.

    I want the feel of those ninety-some years. I am so very glad to finally have this book finished. Back during my horse book fetish of my early teens, I may have enjoyed this a bit. It does have a very slow beginning, spending the first pages on just repetitive trips across the range. Unfortunately, not recommended for racism throughout the second half of the book. I was expecting racism against Native Americans, but, it's actually Mexicans that get the brunt of the racism in this book.

    You can be treated to the word halfbreed on about I am so very glad to finally have this book finished. You can be treated to the word halfbreed on about every other page and a rant from the sheriff about having to treat 'halfbreeds' as it they were white. The entire book is written in cowboy slang which feels so over the top that it lacks an authentic feel. I can understand why this would have been popular at some point, who doesn't love a western horse story? I used to adore them. However, I would say this one has seen its' day.

    Now, if this was edited and abridged I would say it could be enjoyable. The front half is too long and the back half too racist. But, it would only take a few changes throughout to be enjoyable for modern children. Nov 01, Anna Smithberger rated it did not like it. I definitely remember reading this book before well before I had goodreads and liking it fine. Trying to read it again, I hated it.

    It was boring, the dialect bugged me, and I am not a horse girl. Oh god, I am so sorry for disagreeing with Kaia about how horrible this book was! I got SO attached to Smoky. There were so many ups and downs, and I kept hoping that Clint and Smoky would be reunited. I finished this on a Saturday morning, and I couldn't stop crying. I cried all through breakfast, and morning chores. My daughter thought I was crazy. My husband just laughed at me. Mar 16, Deborah Blair rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Recommended to Deborah by: This was one of my most cherished books as a child.

    My maternal Grandmother, Florida Bell Irvine Leitch, was an educated school teacher at the turn of the s, when few ladies had educations - - - she would hitch rides on milk wagons to get to the one room school houses that she taught in.

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    Her family were poor, but good, Presbyterian Scots who dedicated themselves to educating and helping the poor miners' children and others. Although she could only guess at what my mother and aunts were doing This was one of my most cherished books as a child. Although she could only guess at what my mother and aunts were doing to their children, the torture and incest, extremely damaging psychological abuse - she tried to be there for each of us.

    Born early with deformed lungs and inability to take antibiotic because of deathly allergies - I was often near death in bed. My grandmother gifted me with books that my abusive mother was not able, because of her pretense of "social normality" able to take from me. My grandmother told me stories of Robert Louis Stephenson also being deathly ill as a child and how he wiled away the time with making mountains of his knees and valleys with the covers that he could make up stories with his tin soldiers and others.

    He read and then would use his imagination to wile away the times of pain and fever. I know my grandmother's stories and the inspiration of how Robert Louis Stephenson coped in childhood helped me to do the same - whether when ill and near death or lying in painful shambles after a three hour beating - - - One of the books my Grandmother gifted me with was and original copy of Will James' Smoky The Cow Horse. It contained plate illustrations that James - -a real cowboy, artist, writer and personality had done.

    I spent hours imaging I was living with Smokey - - -and living in the safety of nature with him. If you love horses and animals this is a beautiful read. It is a real cowboy tale written by a real cowboy. And if you love it - it is worth searching out on Amazon's used book sellers a copy of the original with the color plates of Will James' illustrations - Nov 14, Wayne Walker rated it really liked it. Smoky is a mouse-colored horse which is born on the range.

    After a couple of years, he is taken to the Rocking R Ranch where he is trained by a thirty-year-old cowboy named Clint to be a cowhorse.

    Smoky the Cow Horse

    The cowhorses work during the spring, summer, and fall on the ranch, but are let back out on the range to forage in the winter. Clint, who is especially fond of the mouse-colored horse, always tries to check on Smoky through each winter, but one year he is detained for several reasons, and when he fina Smoky is a mouse-colored horse which is born on the range. Clint, who is especially fond of the mouse-colored horse, always tries to check on Smoky through each winter, but one year he is detained for several reasons, and when he finally goes out on the range he finds that the cowhorse, as well as the whole herd with which he has been hanging out, is gone.

    What has happened to Smoky? And will Clint ever see him again? It is highly recommended for young horse lovers. Mar 07, Charles rated it really liked it Shelves: In the third grade I think the teacher read a few pages a day from the book. Reading it all these years later was an emotional trip Dow memory lane. Farming, ranching, oil and the military were the economic basis of life in my home town. Maybe half the kids in my elementary school lived out in the country and rode the bus daily to sc In the movie Tex the teacher tells Tex, "You can't do two book reports on Smokey The Cow Horse.

    Maybe half the kids in my elementary school lived out in the country and rode the bus daily to school. I'm sure more than a few of us loved the horse training parts and cried over the horse abuse. I'm not sure the teacher read every word. The tough stuff took up the last third. Even now a hundred years later I still was silently urging the cowboy Clint to rescue Smokey sooner than he did. I couldn't stand the suspense finally and turned ahead to see if there was a happy ending.

    This book holds up amazingly well for having been first published in May 15, Darlis rated it liked it. I had to hurry up and read this so I could help my grandson Bryan with a book report. I was actually surprised that I liked the book. The first part appeals to my environmental nature by explaining what life is like for wild mustangs out in the wild.

    I love the descriptions! The second part appeals to my love of cowboys in the Old West. I loved the descriptions of branding, roping, cattle drives, round ups, and tales of ranch life. I liked that might not be the right word tales of what happene I had to hurry up and read this so I could help my grandson Bryan with a book report. I liked that might not be the right word tales of what happened to Smoky after the breed stole him. It appeals to my appreciation of a well crafted plot. The book is filled with drawings and sketches by the author.

    I am amazed by the details in them. I found out that many people, according to GoodReads, read this as children and then read it to their own children. Looking for more working cow horse secrets? Al Dunning and Bob Avila talk position. Please enter your username. Please enter your password. By switching the current customer, you accept the risk of losing any unsaved changes. To remain on the current page click the "cancel" button. Due to inactivity your session has expired. If you have trained the cow well during the boxing, the long fence run is just an extension of the boxing.

    When the cow sees your horse in her eye, she should stop and turn. When your horse starts to run down the fence without you, resist the urge to pull him into the ground. Trainer Todd Bergen says pulling will cause problems for you in the future. Instead of shutting your horse down in the corner, Todd says you should peel off the cow and circle your horse to make him listen to you. Being out of position on the fence is a problem that snowballs.

    Know which end of the arena the cattle exit from and use it to your advantage when circling.