Bug Boy by Eric Luper [ARC]

Even though Jack Walsh is only 15 years old, he is the main breadwinner for his family.  Finding work is practically impossible during the Great Depression, but Jack has managed to find steady work with Pelton Stables.  A normal day for a stable boy begins at about 4am and consists of “mucking” stalls,  exercising horses, cleaning equipment, and lots of other hard labor — for only $5 a week!  During the summer of 1934, while working for Pelton Stables at the Saratoga Race Track, Jack gets his big break — the chance to be a “bug boy” (a.k.a. apprentice jockey).  When Jack comes in first and second place in his first couple of races, he becomes an overnight celebrity.  Having a rich girlfriend and some money to burn can be great fun, but there are some major drawbacks to leading the life of a bug boy, too.  Cutting weight by starving or binging & purging…  Exercising in a rubber suit to sweat off even more weight…  And then being harassed by a man named Jasper who wants him to throw a race!  Will it all be too much for Jack, or will he manage to rise above it and ride Fireside into the winner’s circle at the Bolton Stakes?  The local history and the information about horse racing were fascinating, while life at the racetrack offered plenty of humor and suspense.  This one is sure to get you as riled up as any photo-finish at the track!

Happy Reading!