A really touching and unusual tale, that has stayed with me since I finished it. I liked the element of mystery (wanting to know why Lenny's brother didn't live with them anymore) and the unlikely friendship between Lenny and Bruce. I found the rosy resolution a little unbelievable and some of the characters a little 2D but overall I enjoyed this very much.

This was super cute and I did really enjoy it and the overall message of the story was an important one.
I enjoyed the characters and the friendships which developed between the characters throughout the story.
There were definitely funny and heartwarming moments throughout which did make me really happy to read about.
I am only rating this book three stars because I am not the target audience for this book. However, I think that the actual target audience for this book will love it as it is an amazing childrens book. It simply was not for me because I am not the target audience and that is okay.
Definitely pick this up if you have any interest in the story as I am sure so many readers will fall in love with this one.

Thank you to Bloomsbury for providing me with an advance copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful story that reminds us to look beyond the surface and encourages kindness and friendship.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Finally got round to reading this & it is such a moving #UKMG novel. I love the relationships & Lenny is a totally believable 12yr old. It made me laugh & cry, & I really appreciated the nuanced adult roles. https://twitter.com/CazApr1/status/1363135251237785603?s=19

We loved this celebration of trust and friendship. A disarming and tender story filled with hope for a better future.

Friendship, family, grief and finding inner strength.

Lenny is that kid your heart aches for, if you're an adult reading this. If you're a kid, you'll know someone like him. You might even be him. He's the one who doesn't fit in, who attracts the attention of bullies for something he can't help, the student who's different.

And this story gives backstory to that. A history that shows just what we hide from other people, the guilt we carry, the secrets we don't talk about in our families. And also the ways we can help each other.

Lenny's brother no longer lives at home. His parents don't like to talk about it. Lenny misses him, and talks about the guilt he feels. Just where is his brother? He aches for his dad to pay him some attention, do things with him. For his mum to show him she cares. At school he is constantly picked on because of his size. Even when he truants to escape them, a homeless man shouts at him for throwing a crisp packet.

But that is the start of a surprising friendship, as Lenny gets to know Bruce, and the two embark on a very sweet and illuminating journey that gives readers insight into the lives of both those without homes and those whose homes are lonely and sad.

I really savoured the story, watching the way each of the two protagonists brought something out in the other. And the vision of a friendship spanning decades, one responsibly portrayed, of equals and mutual support. There are some moving scenes, including that of a bullying expose in school, and a road trip, with mutual secrets gradually uncovered as trust develops.

There is a lot here that young readers may be affected by, it is a wonderful chance to explore some important themes of family relationships, bullying, homelessness.

An author who always brings readers memorable characters and identifiable plots.

For ages 10-14.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

I really enjoyed this book from the beginning.

I found the character of Lenny very relatable and the friendship between him and Bruce was heartwarming, even if Lenny could not see that there may be some concerns about it.

I liked the fact that the back story with Lenny's brother Frankie was dripped throughout and that Lenny found it hard to talk about because his parents did.

The ending was good that Lenny found how to connect with his parents and leant to love himself.

What a book!

So funny and clever in plot and character, beautifully distinctive in its Glaswegian dialect and preteen word use, unapologetic in its emotion, this is a fantastic MG read that explores family, friendship and forgiveness.

Lenny is instantly likeable and amusing (although he wouldn't think that of himself!) and Bruce is a brilliant, mysterious character. Reading this as an adult, I fully admit I had some reservations about the twelve-year-old hanging around with a grown man he'd never met before, but Brian Conaghan deals with that perfectly. The way the story unfolds is masterful and the climax had me in tears. I can't describe how much I enjoyed this book. A hard recommend for sure.

Lenny is struggling to settle into high school and make new friends. Being overweight is all that people see and he is easily the target for bullies. While blinking off school one day, he meets Bruce, a homeless man who lives by the canal. The two form an unlikely friendship and Bruce begins to help Lenny see himself for who he really is.

The story started off quite slowly. After the first 10% I thought it was ok; not disliking it but not really enjoying it either. Then I realised that there was something going on with this family and I desperately wanted to find out what. The story from that point on gained momentum and kept me hooked until the end.

I really liked Lenny and could have cried over the way he was treated at school. Bruce is an amazing character, with hidden depths, which highlights the point that homeless people all have stories to tell.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Heart-warming tale of friendship in the unlikeliest of places, as pre-teen Lenny seeks to escape the bullies from high- school and meets Bruce in his makeshift home. Lots of laughs and life lessons along the way of this awesome road trip, perfectly pitched to UKS2+/middle grade readers. Reminded me of Stewart Foster, with a light tone which children will enjoy, whilst still appreciating the deeper moments.

This was a lovely book about Lenny, a boy who struggles at school socially, and the friendship that develops between him and a local homeless man. Lenny is struggling with many things in his life, both at home and at school and Bruce helps him to work through some of this. A great book, perfect for fans of Lisa Thompson and Stewart Foster.

Cardboard Cowboys is a great little book I just enjoyed reading it with my daughter and we both enjoyed it.

This book contains themes of friendship, bullying, families and brotherly love. Because my daughter is older than the middle grade age its aimed at, it also brought up the topic of naivety and the possibility of exploitation that could have lead to a completely different ending to the story, when Lenny the young lad decided to go on a trip with a much older man and the massive danger that he was completely oblivious to.

Putting this danger aside Cardboard Cowboys is well written and easy to read. We read it fast because we wanted to know the outcome and were both satisfied with the ending.

Well written, moving story about brotherly love and bullying. I think the appeal for the majority of my MG readers will be limited as it's a slow burning story but readers 11+ who are mature enough for books like Lark by Anthony McGowan and Phil Earle would love it I think.