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TWENTY- DOLLAR HORSE by Gerald Raftery Kirkus Star

TWENTY- DOLLAR HORSE

By

Pub Date: Sept. 26th, 1955
Publisher: Messner

This time Gerald Raftery has injected the theme of race prejudice into a boys-and-horse adventure (see City Doff. 1953, Snow Cloud 1951, etc. for other animal stories) that opens the way to better social relationships in the small town of Burton City. Jack Leach, a white boy, and his best friend, Teddy Washington, a Negro, hear of a pinto pony old Mr. Jensen had bought from a carnival. The boys want ""Apache"" and, on the condition they take good care of him, Mr. Jensen hands him over. They have fun fixing a stable for the pony in an unused lot, but Teddy has other cares as well. His family wants to move from their poor section to a better one, partly to give Teddy's older brother Tom a good chance to begin his doctor's practice. But on the verge of purchase, the price is raised. The Leaches, though sympathetic, are unable to persuade the powers that be to remove the zoning obstacles, despite the good the boys and Apache do the community. There is a realistic outcome however as Jack himself talks to the Washingtons' prospective neighbors and finds they will be glad to have the new family in the area.