The bicycle spy

Title:

The bicycle spy

Author:

Summary:

Twelve-year-old Marcel loves riding his bicycle, and dreams of competing in the Tour de France, but it is 1942 and German soldiers are everywhere, stopping him as he delivers bread from his parents' bakery around Aucoin--then one day he discovers that it is not just bread he is delivering, and suddenly he finds himself in position of dangerous secrets about his parents and his new friend from Paris, Delphine.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

197 pages ; 22 cm

Genre:

War fiction.

Action and adventure fiction.

Historical fiction.

Program Information:

Accelerated Reader 5.0.

Accelerated Reader AR 4.7 5.0 185100.

Subject Term:

World War, 1939-1945 -- Underground movements -- Juvenile fiction.

Secrecy -- Juvenile fiction.

Families -- Juvenile fiction.

Jews -- France -- History -- 20th century -- Juvenile fiction.

Cycling -- Juvenile fiction.

Geographic Term:

France -- History -- German occupation, 1940-1945 -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Scholastic Press,

Publication Date:

2016

ISBN:

9780545850957

9781338129212

Publication Information:

New York : Scholastic Press, 2016.

Call Number:

J MCDONOU

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003255851	Juvenile Fiction	MCDONOU	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Can Marcel make the ride of his life?Marcel loves riding his bicycle, whether he's racing through the streets of his small town in France or making bread deliveries for his parents' bakery. He dreams of someday competing in the Tour de France, the greatest bicycle race. But ever since Germany's occupation of France began two years ago, in 1940, the race has been canceled. Now there are soldiers everywhere, interrupting Marcel's rides with checkpoints and questioning.Then Marcel learns two big secrets, and he realizes there are worse things about the war than a canceled race. When he later discovers that his friend's entire family is in imminent danger, Marcel knows he can help -- but it will involve taking a risky bicycle ride to pass along covert information. And when nothing ends up going according to plan, it's up to him to keep pedaling and think quickly... because his friend, her family, and his own future hang in the balance.

Author Notes

Yona Zeldis McDonough is the award-winning author of 27 books for children and seven novels for adults. Her essays, articles, and short fiction have appeared in numerous national and literary publications. She is also the fiction editor of Lilith magazine. McDonough lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their two children.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6-It is 1942 in German-occupied France. The Tour de France has been cancelled for the last two years, and Marcel, a young French boy, must keep two very big secrets: his parents are part of the resistance, and the new girl in town, a friend and fellow bicycle enthusiast, tells him that she is Jewish. Marcel must decide if he will help his new friend, even if it means putting his life and the lives of his parents at risk. This story takes readers on a historical adventure as they follow Marcel, astride his trusty bicycle, along the streets of German-occupied France. History seamlessly meets fiction as readers learn about a snippet of life in World War II Europe. Marcel is often frightened when he has to go through various checkpoints, where soldiers question his every move. However, he uses his love for cycling to get him through these dangerous times. The brief histories provided at the end of the story and the glossary of terms offer additional background and support for students just learning about this time period. VERDICT This would be a great resource in a World War II unit. Students will become engrossed in Marcel's exploits as he attempts to save his family from an awful fate.-Elizabeth Anne Ragain, Springfield Public Schools, MO © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

A winning protagonist propels this WWII adventure, which is set in 1942 in a Nazi-occupied French village. Diminutive yet determined 12-year-old Marcel loves to ride his bicycle and adores the Tour de France, which has been suspended because of the war. Marcel imagines himself on the Tour as he delivers bread for his baker parents, slipping sweets to armed guards to win their cooperation. McDonough (Little Author in the Big Woods) effectively escalates the conflict as Marcel discovers coded messages inside the loaves and realizes that his parents are members of the Resistance. Marcel forms a fast friendship with Delphine, a clever girl who shares his love of biking, and later discovers her family's Jewish heritage, which puts them in grave danger. Some narrative elements feel rushed, such as how quickly Marcel and Delphine disclose their families' secrets to each other, but readers should be riveted as Marcel encourages his parents to help Delphine's family escape and helps put a daring rescue into action. This engrossing introduction to WWII also includes a glossary, historical notes, and reading suggestions. Ages 8-12. Agent: Judith Ehrlich, Judith Ehrlich Literary Management. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Excerpts

Marcel read the note once, twice, and then a third time. Picnics, bridges... what could it mean? Why hide a message about a picnic in a loaf of bread? Unless... maybe it was a code of some kind. The Germans had invaded the Free Zone about two weeks ago. Marcel's father had sent him to his aunt's with bread several times since then. He'd never thought anything of it -- he'd been delivering bread for them since he was eight or nine. But going multiple times in only two weeks was way more than usual. The trips he had made recently must have been about more than just delivering bread or pastries. Much more... Excerpted from The Bicycle Spy by Yona Zeldis McDonough All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.