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Cowboy Ghost

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Sixteen-year-old Tee sets off on a grueling cattle drive up through the Florida wilderness of the 1920s in order to prove to his father that he is just as talented a rider as his older brother Micah. Reprint.

202 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

6 people are currently reading
32 people want to read

About the author

Robert Newton Peck

87 books82 followers
Robert Newton Peck is an American author of books for young adults. His titles include Soup and A Day No Pigs Would Die. He claims to have been born on February 17, 1928, in Vermont, but has refused to specify where. Similarly, he claims to have graduated from a high school in Texas, which he has also refused to identify. Some sources state that he was born in Nashville, Tennessee (supposedly where his mother was born, though other sources indicate she was born in Ticonderoga, New York, and that Peck, himself, may have been born there). The only reasonably certain Vermont connection is that his father was born in Cornwall.

Peck has written over sixty books including a great book explaining his childhood to becoming a teenager working on the farm called: A Day no Pigs would Die

He was a smart student, although his schooling was cut short by World War II. During and shortly after the conflict, he served as a machine-gunner in the U.S. Army 88th Infantry Division. Upon returning to the United States, he entered Rollins College, graduating in 1953. He then entered Cornell Law School, but never finished his course of study.

Newton married Dorothy Anne Houston and fathered two children, Anne and Christopher. The best man at the wedding and the godfather to the children was Fred Rogers of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood fame.

A Day No Pigs Would Die was his first novel, published in 1972 when he was already 44 years old. From then on he continued his lifelong journey through literature. To date, he has been credited for writing 55 fiction books, 6 nonfiction books, 35 songs, 3 television specials and over a hundred poems.

Several of his historical novels are about Fort Ticonderoga: Fawn, Hang for Treason, The King's Iron.

In 1993, Peck was diagnosed with oral cancer, but survived. As of 2005, he was living in Longwood, Florida, where he has in the past served as the director of the Rollins College Writers Conference. Peck sings in a barbershop quartet, plays ragtime piano, and is an enthusiastic speaker. His hobby is visiting schools, "to turn kids on to books."

From Wikipedia

For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/robert-n...

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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
18 reviews
January 7, 2019
Personal Response:
Overall, I enjoyed Cowboy Ghost very much. It was very interesting because Titus Macrobertson had to be a man and take charge when he was only 16. When everything was put against him, he still came out victorious by bringing the cattle home. I also thought it was cool how when he finally got home, his dad finally showed him respect and noticed him. My favorite part about this whole book was how he had to think so fast in order to fulfill his duties.

Plot Summary:
Titus Timothy Macrobertson was a young seven year old boy who lived on a ranch in the southern part of Florida. He had a father, a brother who was 18, and a maid/ housewife because his mother died when she gave birth to him. Mr. Mac did not believe in Titus because he was always scrawny unlike his older brother Micah whom his dad loved ever so much. The book skipped nine years, Titus being 16 and Micah being 27. Titus turned 16 and had his initiation into the ranch, he had to ride the spunk out of a wild mustang. He ended up not riding it but being dragged, but he still wore it out so he was brought on to the team. His brother always helped him learn the ways of the ranch and taught him how to become a man. It was T’s first chance to go on a cattle drive. Being the youngest, he had to help cook all of the food with Mr. Chang: the cook. It was about a week’s ride to the homestead. For the first four days, Titus cooked and cleaned. The group of ranch hands started to cross Seminole territory and bones were everywhere. They were moving through when all of a sudden a cow just fell over. T looked over and saw an arrow and more cows being shot. No one was hurt, but there was one issue: a storm was brewing about a mile off and it was coming in fast. The cows all started to stampede and the horses jumped and bucked. The two pairs that pulled the two wagons took off, leaving no control in the hands of the operator. The storm had settled down and T got up. Mr. Hop, the lead cowhand, told him to go take a headcount of the hands, horses, cows and find both wagons. He counted 380 cows, horses, cowhands, Mr. Chang, and his wagon. There was no sign of his brother's wagon. He rode for miles, finally seeing a glimpse of the wagon. His heart raced as he saw the toppled over the wagon. He looked frantically for his precious brother: Micah. He was crushed under the full weight of the supply wagon. He walked up to his brother who had a glimpse of life left. With his final breath, he told Titus to make sure that he never became him.T buried him and went back to the camp the next day. He looked for Mr. Hop, but it turned out that he had a heart attack in his absence. The news shocked Titus because, with Mr. Hop’s death, that would mean that Micah was in charge, but he died too. The last Macrobertson was Titus, a 16 year old boy in charge of a 400 cow cattle drive. The next day they were riding along when all of a sudden they spotted three men in the distance, cow rustlers. One of the cowhands managed to kill them but T got shot in the gut. That night they finally made it to the homestead. They sold the 380 cows for the price of 400 head. In the morning, they were all drunk except T and Chang. When they finally got home Mr. Mac was on the porch, sitting with a stare. He did not see his beloved son. T got up to the porch and told his dad everything. His dad carried him up to his room and put a hand on his shoulder he said: “By dang, I got myself a son.”

Characterization:
Titus Timothy Macrobertson was the main character in the story. He was a 16-year-old rancher’s son in southern Florida. He was determined, brave, and hardworking. Throughout the book, he tried to impress his dad and make him notice him. Finally in the end, he succeeded.

Mr. Mac Titus’s dad was the antagonist in the book. He was an older gentleman
cause he never shows care or notices towards his younger son until the end when he has nothing left.

Setting:
This book took place in Florida on a large cattle ranch. The reader can assume that the setting took place around the early 1900s because of the barren land and guns. The setting was very important because if it were in a modern era the book would not make sense.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to ages 10 and up. I would recommend this because there was a little bit of violence, but it also would be a good book for an older person. I think that either gender would enjoy this book.
17 reviews1 follower
February 11, 2013
"Cowboy Ghost" is about a boy named Titus MacRobertson. He lives on huge ranch with his dad, and his older brother, Micha. Titus or "Tee" is not like his father Rob or is big brother Micha. His brother and his father are both tall and big. Titus is still tall but very skinny. Tee and his father do not really get along because he is not like Micha or his father. Titus really wants to grow up like Micha and his father. Titus wants to be big and tall and he wants to go on the trails to go get cattle with them to show that he is what they are looking for in a brother and a son. I would recommend this book to any middle school or high school student. This is a very good book, especially if you like westerns.
14 reviews1 follower
May 1, 2014


The book Cowboy Ghost is by Robert Newton Peck. It is placed in the year 1924. It is in the state of Florida. The main character, sixteen-year-old Titus Timothy MacRobertson, he can rope a unbroken mustang or round up some cattle that are loose. But there is one thing the will test him that is a cattle drive there Florida.

I think this is a great book. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars. At first I thought that the cowboy ghost was going to haunt Titus because I didn't read the full review on the book. Once I got in it I thought I was a great book to read.

This book would be good for 12 year olds to 17 years old boys and maybe some girls. The book would be great for country people and that like to be outside.
1 review1 follower
November 16, 2016
This was a good book one of the better ones that I have read. I liked this book because it is about a cowboy.
Profile Image for William B.
8 reviews
February 28, 2019
I read the book Cowboy Ghost, it was written by Robert Newton Peck. The setting of the book is in 1924, during different times of the year in Florida. The main characters are Titus MacRobertson and his father Rob MacRobertson. I found this book in the library and I decided to read it because it is a western book.

Titus is a young boy age of 16, he is skinny but he is very brave and works a lot and likes to ride horses, and work with cattle. Rob is a tall and big man, he is a rancher and a very smart man. Titus and Rob live together on a ranch in Florida. Rob didn't think Titus would become a hard worker because Titus is very skinny but over time he grew and got better at working with cows and practiced riding horses that bucked and he became very strong and his father was very happy of a man Titus became.

My favorite part of the book is when Titus gets his respect from his father and gets to work cattle with everyone else. But Titus had to practice a lot and he had to get stronger. The ending was a very happy ending that Titus always wanted.

I recommend this book to anyone that loves to read about westerns. This book was very good, I gave it 4 stars.
Profile Image for Charlie Ewalt.
9 reviews
September 26, 2022
Throughout the book, the main character Titus tries to earn his father's trust by trying his best on the ranch and becoming a real man after his brother passes away and he has to step up on the cattle drive. I really liked this book because older western-style themes are right up my alley and I really like them. Also, the author did a really good job at setting the theme by altering dialogue to make it seem like you were really in the early 1900s. My favorite part in the book is when Titus realizes that there is no one there to help him while he's alone on the cattle drive, that's when he realizes that it's time to put on his big boy pants and step up. Due to the older nature and western theme, this book is made for readers who want to read about western life and how tough being a rancher really is. Personally, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what being a rancher is really like, and so you can experience firsthand what troubles they had to go through.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kia Marie.
16 reviews
November 13, 2022
I absolutely love this novel and have read it cover to cover multiple times. The author has such an interesting writing style and the characterisation of these characters are incredible.

I’ve never been one for Westerns - but this has been an awesome read. It’s an easy read that you can smash out in an afternoon - definitely recommend.
Profile Image for Kim Hampton.
1,701 reviews37 followers
February 11, 2023
This book wasn't exactly what I was expecting based on the title, but I enjoyed it. I wouldn't recommend it for younger teens though.
Profile Image for Mar Glus.
4 reviews
August 4, 2024
Bought this at half priced paperbacks. Decent subway read, not exactly crazy writing but a nice story
Profile Image for Kressel Housman.
992 reviews263 followers
August 16, 2011
Until this book, I don't think I've ever read a single western, but when my son asked me to pick out something for him at the library, I thought this would be macho enough to please him. Then on Shabbos, he asked me to read a bit aloud to him for a while, and I found myself intrigued. The characters are well-drawn, the plot is dramatic, and there's humor mixed in, too. I wouldn't call it great literature, but if you've got a teenage boy who doesn't want to read "a girl's book," this one will probably do the trick.

Warning: These cowboys cuss like cowboys. Some of them even visit a house of ill repute, but it's only mentioned, not described. I think that part went completely over my son's head. I sure hope so.
6 reviews
December 14, 2011
Summary: "Cowboy Ghost" is about a boy named Titus MacRobertson. He lives on huge ranch with his pa, and his big bro, Micha. Titus is not like his father Rob or is big brother Micha. His brother and his father are both very big men. Both are very tall and muscular while Titus is still tall but very skinny. Titus really wants to grow up like Micha and his father. Titus wants to be big and tall and he wants to go on the trails to go get cattle with them.

Likes/Dislikes: I really enjoy this book. It always keeps me on the edge of my seat. Every page sort of sends a message out there and it just makes me wanting more. Some dislikes are that the book is not as long as it should be.

Quote: "Don't worry Titus, someday you will be as big and stong as me pa."
13 reviews1 follower
April 3, 2012
I chose this book mainly because of the title and the script on the back. "Tee" has too take on a mustang as his first challenge. He is handled by the difficult side of ranching. "Aces and mustangs are part of ye life in the west." I liked this quote because it shows the dialect and it shows to hardship cowboys faced in their time. The one thing I didn't like was the dialect that made it more difficult for me to read it but overall the writing style was good. No I wouldn't because it was not that interesting to me so it really did not appeal to me but for others into these kinds of stories it might.
Profile Image for Mary Ann.
2,746 reviews11 followers
November 11, 2016
This was a treat to read and wish I had read it when I first bought it. Never thought about ranching and trail drives in Florida. I found myself quite upset when a character I loved ended up dying. The family relationships were gut wrenching at times, but also full of moments of hope. The language is authentic and would definitely be easier for an all male classroom to absorb without female giggles.
With only 2 female characters the story definitely fits the guy reader!
13 reviews
February 6, 2013
Cowboy Ghost was a good book I thought. It showed how rough it was growing up in 1924. It also showed how people expect kids to be like their fathers since they owned a big part of land and a farm, but most sons are not like their fathers.
Profile Image for Samantha Martinez.
19 reviews
Read
May 22, 2012
I like this book. The ending was really suprising. I didnt expect for it to end like thats. I really like the characters and how Tee prosmied to become his own math
Profile Image for Corey.
8 reviews
Read
April 27, 2019
I read "Cowboy Ghost" by Robert Peck. The book takes place on a ranch in Florida. The main characters are Titus and Micah. I found this book by looking in the library.
     The book is about a young kid named Titus who is at the stage of reaching manhood. He is very nervous but with the comfort of his older brother Micah he feels more prepared. He must complete the 16 year olds duty to become one of the rest. Throughout his life he has had it just as the rest of the ranchhands until he heres a odd noise coming from and old barn on the ranch. When he goes to investigate, he is devistated to find the "undeveloped guardian angel".
     I like how the book ended because Titus was a very determined kid with high standards for himself. He knew that he wanted to go on the cattledrive with his brother but was doubting himself, but with the help of his brother he accomplished his mission to not only impress his brother but the whole ranch this was also my favorite part of the book.
     I liked this book but it was very back and fourth, because at one moment its just a layed back story then it turns into a action packed novel which confused my when i wasn't paying attention. I don't know of any similar books to this one. I recommend readers who like to read to read this book.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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