Juby, Susan. Another kind of cowboy.

JUBY, Susan. Another kind of cowboy. HarperCollins. 352p. c2007. 0-060-76517-8. $16.99. S

Alex Ford has always dreamed of riding horses. From the time he was a small child, he rode his bicycle as if it were a horse, provoking strange stares and laughter in the neighborhood. One day, his father wins a horse in a poker game and Alex becomes a cowboy. The problem, however, is that he doesn't want to be a cowboy; he wants to ride dressage. Cleo O'Shea is a rich girl sent to live at an equestrian boarding school. She too has played horses since she was little; the problem is that she never wanted real horses, just the plastic kind. Now she is at a school that takes riding seriously and is allowing her to study dressage with retired European tutors. Cleo recognizes that Alex needs someone to talk to, so the two form an uncomfortable friendship as they work together with the horses. At first, Cleo wants to think of the quiet, awkward Alex as a boyfriend, but part of what Alex needs to talk about is his growing realization that he is attracted to other boys. Into the mix comes Jennifer Hillier, a senior who takes nothing seriously except drugs and alcohol. The story of these riders, their attitudes, their loves and their ambitions makes for a quirky, compelling novel about friendship and family. Janis Flint-Ferguson, Prof. English Lang. & Lit., Gordon College, Wenham, MA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.