THE BICYCLE MAN

The setting—1927 in a Southern small town—matches the old-fashioned feel of this quiet story of loss and hope. Twelve-year-old Carissa lives in poverty with her widowed mother. Bailey’s arrival on a bright blue bicycle changes their lives for the better. An elderly man, he’s willing to work hard for a bit of food and a place to stay. An archetypal wise elder, Bailey teaches Carissa to ride his bike, tells her about his travels, and offers moral tales to help her and her family face some unpleasant truths and reconcile their differences. Carissa’s recognition of Bailey’s essential goodness is immediate, but contemporary readers might be more wary and feel that he’s too good to be true. In addition, Bailey’s assertion that Carissa can accomplish whatever she wants isn’t entirely convincing given the honest picture of the racism and oppression of the day that Dudley presents. The slow pace of the plot and Dudley’s use of dialect for some of the characters may further lessen the book’s appeal. Honest but not especially engaging. (Fiction. 10-12)