Cougar - Hardcover

Griffith, Helen V.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0688163378 ISBN 13: 9780688163372

Publisher: Greenwillow, 1999

Synopsis

Nickel just wants to play soccer with his new friends but is bullied by the nasty Robbo and his gang, until a horse ghost named Cougar and an enchanted bicycle come to his aid.

About this title

About the Author

Helen V. Griffith lives in Wilmington, Delaware. In Her Own Words...

"What I like about writing books is that I can sit and think about things that most adults never think about, and it's okay because I'm a children's book writer."

"I can imagine what my dog is dreaming about or what she and my cat discuss when I'm not around. I can design a time machine or make up a tall tale, and nobody says, "Grow up, Helen"--because I'm a children's book writer.

"I was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and I work in the family business. We're distributors of roofing and siding materials, and I've never yet gotten a story inspiration from that. Most of my ideas seem to come from dogs I have known.

"My grandfather was part of our family and used to read to me a lot-the Sunday funny papers, turn-of-the-century primers, and The Arabian Nights. When I could read for myself, I read fairy tales, dog and horse stories, and comic books by the dozen.

"I started writing poems and the beginnings of novels by the age of seven or eight, but I was forty before I thought about writing for publication.

"For fun, I like reading (especially Anthony Trollope) and birdwatching, and I've just started learning to play old-time fiddle!"

Reviews

Grade 5-7-In this unusual story, a phantom horse, a school bully, and a bike with a mind of its own help to change a boy's life from that of an outsider to a school hero. When Nickel, his Aunt Starla, and her husband, Joe, go to live with Joe's parents on their farm, Nickel is fascinated by a black horse named Cougar that died in a barn fire and that only he and Joe's father can see. At school, the boy attracts the attention of Robbo, the school bully and top soccer player. Nickel also happens to be an excellent soccer player, and, not wanting to share the spotlight, Robbo goes out of his way to challenge and threaten the new boy. As the rivalry escalates, the spirit of the mysterious horse seems to become reincarnated into an old bicycle that is determined to protect Nickel. In a final confrontation, the bike defeats Robbo and his buddies and becomes a school legend. Nickel is an appealing hero who is trying to improve his life and find a place where he belongs. Introducing the supernatural into an otherwise realistic story will be satisfying to children who enjoy this type of twist. Others will wish that Nickel had been able to find a way to deal with the school bully without supernatural intervention. A fast-paced read in which fantasy and reality are compellingly intertwined.
Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Just as Nickel, his aunt Starla, and her husband, Joe, turn into the farm road that leads to Joe's parents' house, the boy is astonished to see a magnificent black horse dash in front of their car, narrowly avoiding being hit. Neither Starla nor Joe saw the horse, and it turns out that there is no longer a horse on the farm. Just before Joe came back, the barn burned down, and Joe's horse, Cougar, died in the blaze. As the makeshift family settles in with the Clendaniels, Nickel learns more about the horse, and how it was jealous of Joe's bike and once tried to nip at it. When Nickel is pursued by bullies at his new school, he chooses the ruined old barn as a hiding place; as he crouches, he feels a hunk of metal that is warm to his touch, while his pursuers complain of getting cut. Nickel has found, in the place where Cougar died, Joe's old bike; he and Joe's father, Pop, restore it. When the bully strikes again, the spirit of Cougar, inhabiting the bike, saves Nickel. It's a strange tale, weakened by the supernatural element, yet horse lovers will find it comforting. In the satisfying ending, as Nickel becomes part of a loving family and comes to understand himself a little better, readers won't fail to be moved. (Fiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 4^-6. In this rich, offbeat fantasy from the author of Dinosaur Habitat (1998), a youngster gets help coping with a bully--from a ghost horse. The premise works better than it would seem, largely because the characters are drawn with rare clarity: Nickel, a neglected child trying to put down roots with the Clendaniels, an aging farm couple; Robbo, athletic cock of the walk at school; and fiery, half-wild Cougar, a horse that died in a barn fire three weeks before but appears to Nickel several times and later gives his battered bicycle a willful mind of its own. Taking Nickel's joy and excellence at soccer as a challenge, Robbo begins a campaign of harassment, culminating in an attack that leaves Nickel enraged and frightened. Meanwhile, Nickel's interest in the farm brings gruff Lindale Clendaniel out of a fire-induced depression, and Nickel faces another problem when his bike suddenly won't let anyone but Nickel ride it--and even he has to make a major effort just to keep it on the road. Griffith expertly weaves these plot strands together and builds suspense nicely, then releases it in a wild, satisfying climax. Readers will need an elastic sense of belief, but Nickel is immensely likable, and Cougar, a strong, free-spirited presence. John Peters

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenwillow
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0688163378
• ISBN 13: 9780688163372
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 128