Summer in New Hampshire: a great time to hop on your bike and explore! But for those days when it’s too wet - or too hot! - to go outside, you can read about bicycles and bicycling so you’re ready when conditions are more favorable.
First, we will have Massachusetts author and cyclist extraordinaire Christina Uss, who will be visiting the Concord Public Library this summer to talk about her work and cycling adventures. She has traveled by bike across the United States going both East and West and North and South! In her book, The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle ( J Uss), she tells the story of a cross-country cycling trip. A sequel, A Few Bicycles More (J Uss) continues the story of the intrepid young cyclist named Bicycle. Other books by the same author that include bikes more tangentially are The Colossus of Roads (J Uss) and Erik vs. Everything.
Of course, the library has plenty of other fictional, bicycle-themed stories to read with your little one. Bear’s Bicycle by Laura Renaud (PJ Renaud, Recreation/Tan) tells the story of Bear, who is struggling to learn to ride his bicycle in time for the Summer Scoot. In the graphic novel Do You Like My Bike? By Norm Feuti (J GN Feuti) Hedgehog has a new bike, but their friend Harry is a bit anxious about the whole idea. And in Sarai and the Around the World Fair by Sarai Gonzalez and Monica Brown (J FIRSTCH Sarai, also available in Spanish, J 460 Gonzalez), Sarai and her Grandpa transform an old bike into a new ride for Sarai while she’s preparing for the exciting Around the World Fair at school.
It’s fun to read stories about cycling, but it is also important to learn how to maintain and repair your own bicycle and we have books to help your child with that!
Kids’ Easy Bike Care: Tune-Ups, Tools and Quick Fixes by Steve Cole (J. 629.2 Cole) teaches kids all they need to know to look after their bikes themselves. The book uses clear explanations and illustrations, from properly fitting your helmet to fixing a flat tire by the side of the road, to teach the basics of bicycle maintenance.
Information on bike safety, which is equally as important as maintenance, can be found in the helpful book Bicycle Safety by Lucia Raatma (J 363.1 Raatma). This book addresses all a cyclist needs to be aware of to stay safe while cycling in your neighborhood or town, from what to wear (helmet, visibility vest), to what dangers there are (wide grates and potholes).
Maybe your young biker is a daredevil, interested in BMX bikes and the exciting tricks you can do with them. In this case, check out two of our books about BMX bikes: Awesome Freestyle BMX Tricks and Stunts by Lori Polydoros (J 796.6 Polydoro) and BMX Bikes by Kathleen W. Deady (J 796.6 Deady). These books combine descriptions of the bikes themselves with a history of the sport and include photos of people performing tricks. Both books include glossaries, internet resources, and other ways to learn more about the sport and activities in your own area.
Interested in what fellow cyclists have accomplished across the world? Pedal Power, by Allan Drummond (J 388.3 Drummond), tells the story of “how one community became the bicycle capital of the world.” In the 1970s Amsterdam was more car-friendly than bike-friendly but families began to protest at how dangerous it had become to ride bikes while taking their children to school and running errands. Today, Amsterdam is a city that puts bicycles and their riders first.
Or learn how bicycles contributed to women’s greater freedoms, as they were able to hop on a bike and pedal off on their own in Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (with a few flat tires along the way) by Sue Macy (J 796.6 Macy). Bicycles were cheaper than horses and didn’t need a stable, food, or water. That made them accessible for many people, including women, who couldn’t afford a horse. Read all about it!
Don’t forget to look for the Concord Public Library’s bicycle bookmobiles at events across town this summer and come in to see us when you need something new to read!
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