Reviews
Let 'er Buck!: George Fletcher, the People's Champion by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, Gordon C. James
sjorgie's review against another edition
4.0
One of my favorite types of book to introduce students to in the library is the "unknown" biography. This biography about rodeo rider/cowboy George Fletcher will be a great addition to our school's collection. It's hard to find African American historical biographies that are not based in the South. ( Pacific Northwest!) Gordon C James's illustrations compliment the books focus on George and the other people satisfactorily, but really shines in bringing the horses and the historical setting to life. described. The author provides a lot of back/end notes which gives readers many options for further research.
stenaros's review against another edition
5.0
Read for Librarian Book Group
I loved this picture book of history of George Fletcher who did not win the 1911 Pendelton Roundup even though he probably would have, had he not been a black man.
This book not only has an excellent voice for its subject matter, but also has incredible illustrations, all of which I would be glad to have on the walls of my imaginary high desert cabin.
There's also great back matter that is frank about how hard it was to verify information, plus a selected bibliography.
I loved this picture book of history of George Fletcher who did not win the 1911 Pendelton Roundup even though he probably would have, had he not been a black man.
This book not only has an excellent voice for its subject matter, but also has incredible illustrations, all of which I would be glad to have on the walls of my imaginary high desert cabin.
There's also great back matter that is frank about how hard it was to verify information, plus a selected bibliography.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
5.0
I'd never heard of George Fletcher before, so this was a nice addition to my horsey reading list. The book is an introduction to the famed black cowboy/bronc buster who was given the runner-up slot in the 1911 Pendleton Round Up Saddle Bronc Championship, by the (white) judges, but was made "People's Champion" by the sheriff and pretty much everyone in the crowd who'd witnessed his awesome ride that day and felt he had deserved first place. A really cool story. Author's note gives brief biographies of the other two competitors and of the sheriff, and more details of Fletcher's life, as well as detailing her research for the book and how certain incidents had varying versions so she had to choose which way to tell them. Includes an extensive bibliography, with articles and interviews. The book is written in a terrific folksy style; you can hear that Western cowpoke twang. Also includes a glossary of cowboy terms, like "forking" (riding). And the book is beautifully illustrated with colorful oil paintings that are fluid, full of motion, just like riding a buckin' bronc.
scostner's review against another edition
3.0
George Fletcher was an incredibly talented cowboy and rider, yet he was only given second place at the 1911 Pendleton Round-Up. The author traces George's early life as his family took the Oregon Trail to the Northwest, his friendship with the children on the Umatilla Reservation, his lifelong love of horses, and the story of that historic rodeo. The illustrations capture the spirit of the horses and riders. The sense of movement comes across clearly in images of George "riding a make-believe bronco" or riding back to back on the same bucking horse with cowboy Jesse Stahl. But George's love of horses is also shown, especially in an image of young George blowing lightly into a horse's face.
Stories of individuals who persevere and follow their passion despite prejudice are always a welcome addition to classroom and library collections. It is also good to have a wider variety of individuals to read about during Black History Month than the few Civil Rights figures that most lessons focus on. Authors such as Vaunda, who research stories that have been left out of the history books, help to fill gaps in our understanding and collective knowledge.
I read an advance copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Stories of individuals who persevere and follow their passion despite prejudice are always a welcome addition to classroom and library collections. It is also good to have a wider variety of individuals to read about during Black History Month than the few Civil Rights figures that most lessons focus on. Authors such as Vaunda, who research stories that have been left out of the history books, help to fill gaps in our understanding and collective knowledge.
I read an advance copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
erinlowry89's review against another edition
4.0
A longer read than my students would have sat through, but I found it very interesting!!!
fantisian's review against another edition
5.0
The oil paintings and the Western phrases work so well together!
bookwench's review against another edition
3.0
I found myself liking the back-matter of this book more than the book itself. Possibly because the I found the subject fascinating but the use of rodeo words and cowboy slang in the text to feel sort of...forced? It reads in a kind of hokey manner. It's a deliberate choice to introduce these words and terms to a larger audience, there's a glossary in the back, but it didn't work for me personally.
The art is wonderful, especially the horses. James' style of oil painting lends itself well to depicting movement and the explosive power of rodeo horses.
There's also a short bibliography in the back of the book. At a quick glance it looks like the sources might be geared more towards adults than children. It definitely looks more like bibliography of sources for the book as opposed to a "if you want to read more about these people" kind of thing.
The art is wonderful, especially the horses. James' style of oil painting lends itself well to depicting movement and the explosive power of rodeo horses.
There's also a short bibliography in the back of the book. At a quick glance it looks like the sources might be geared more towards adults than children. It definitely looks more like bibliography of sources for the book as opposed to a "if you want to read more about these people" kind of thing.
jmshirtz's review against another edition
5.0
Gorgeous illustrations accompany this picture book biography. There was too much text for my three-year-old, but I enjoyed the story! All of the back matter was fantastic!
tashrow's review
5.0
George Fletcher moved to Pendleton, Oregon, a place where there weren’t a lot of African-Americans. He made friends with the children from the Umatilla Indian Reservation and learned how to train horses with gentleness. George started riding in competitions at age 16, though he was often shut out of competitions because of the color of his skin or judged unfairly. He got his chance to really show off his skill at the 1911 Pendleton Round-Up, the biggest rodeo in the Northwest. He made the top three finalists for the Saddle Bronc Championship. He outrode the other two competitors, and when the white person was named champion the crowd booed. One man in the crowd decided it wasn’t alright and sold small pieces of George’s hat to the crowd for $5 each. He turned the money over to George and it ended up being more than the grand prize. George was crowned the “People’s Champion” that day.
Nelson writes with a lovely western twang in this nonfiction picture book. She captures the spirit of the west in the words she uses and in particular in her metaphors. George took to the ways of the Umatilla tribes “like a wet kitten to a warm brick.” Ranching suited George “like made-to-measure boots.” These are just two examples of the vivid way that Nelson uses language to firmly place her book in its setting. She also creates a compelling portrait of Fletcher and faces the inherent racism of the system head on.
The illustrations by James are full of color and motion. Created with oil on board, they are a stunning mix of movement, depth and history. One can almost see the action playing out from the lines he uses. Stunning
A strong picture book about racism, horses, rodeos and heroism. Appropriate for ages 4-8.
Nelson writes with a lovely western twang in this nonfiction picture book. She captures the spirit of the west in the words she uses and in particular in her metaphors. George took to the ways of the Umatilla tribes “like a wet kitten to a warm brick.” Ranching suited George “like made-to-measure boots.” These are just two examples of the vivid way that Nelson uses language to firmly place her book in its setting. She also creates a compelling portrait of Fletcher and faces the inherent racism of the system head on.
The illustrations by James are full of color and motion. Created with oil on board, they are a stunning mix of movement, depth and history. One can almost see the action playing out from the lines he uses. Stunning
A strong picture book about racism, horses, rodeos and heroism. Appropriate for ages 4-8.
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