What a great Summer read!  This is a terrific story about 12 year old orphan raised by a nun and several monks who decides to ride her bike across the country to California to meet her idol and become friends with him.  There are a lot of smiles and a few sad moments with the reader feeling joy for Bicycle and the rush of wind in their hair as they read of her travels. Christina Uss has done a marvelous job of creating quirky characters and interesting adventures for this 12 year old.  In a world filled with violence and sex this is an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.

Uss has created strong characters that Bicycle meets: a horse named The Cannibal, a restaurateur, a pie maker, a scientist,  the Cookie Lady, and of course other cyclists. Her bike, Clunk, plays a major role as well as they bond together in their journey.  The plot is filled with funny incidents, sad moments and plenty of cheering Bicycle on as she struggles to get to California overcoming all kinds of adversity.  This is an empowering book for girls following this spunky 12 year old make it on her own. Along the way Bicycle makes friends, learns a lot and gives us lots of guidance on what friendship looks like.

This delightful story is a throwback to the days of truly classic young adult literature.  Great read and loads of fun, surely this will end up being a must read for young girls and bicycle enthusiasts!