I am delighted to share my review today for The Big Ol’ Bike by Rachel Clarke. My thanks to Emma at damppebbles for my e-copy of this wonderful childrens book. I really enjoyed reading this one.

Big things are happening in Little Springs…

Everything about Oliver is small, from his footprint to his glasses-and a trio of bullies never let him forget it. When Oliver receives his grandfather’s old bike for his birthday, he rides tall for the first time. But the meanest bully in school doesn’t like that at all. Oliver quickly finds himself challenged to a race. Now, he’ll have to be bigger than he ever imagined in order to prove heroes come in small packages too.

The Big Ol’ Bike is a contemporary slice of life for ages 7-10. It’s filled with characters who could live down the street from you, or have a locker beside yours at school. Come hang out with Oliver, Austin, and Sue, as they experience excitement, setbacks, and adventure together. Themes of bullying, family, friendship, confidence, and community are all explored.

Longer than average for this age range, The Big Ol’ Bike is meant to be transitional between chapter books and middle grade novels. It’s an equally perfect choice for eager readers who fly through the pages, and kids who enjoy taking it chapter by chapter.

WARNING: Reading this book may cause an immediate and urgent need to ride your bike. Do not be alarmed-the feeling will pass soon enough. But don’t let it. 😉

Purchase from Amazon – UK – CAN – US

My Review…

What a wonderful story about The Bog Ol’ Bike was, as I read it I was reminded of my old Raleigh Chopper. I loved that bike and was gutted when I was then given a Raleigh Shopper! I was due to go to secondary school then and needed a bike suitable for carrying my school books. Yes a sensible decision, but still…

Back to the book, this is a gorgeous story that the author and illustrator has presented. It is about young Oliver and his bike. His old bike was too small for him and he is given his grandfathers old bike. Not a modern machine but one that Oliver loves.

This old bike however gives the school bullies something to tease poor Oliver about. It makes him doubt himself and also the reason behind the present.

The author has tackled bullying in this story as well as having a belief in yourself. it has been done in such a way as to encourage the reader to discuss problems they may be having. More importantly, I do think this book is a deal to sit and chat about. It would be great to pause the reading and start a discussion about “what would you do if it was you?”

This is such a lovely story and one that I do think is ideal for the age group of 7-10 that it is aimed at. It does have some very helpful advice that is part of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this and I would definitely recommend it.

About the Author…

Rachael Clarke is a former police officer turned stay-at-home mom living in Portage la Prairie, MB. She rides the twisty rollercoaster of life alongside her sport-obsessed husband, adorably mischievous boys, and two quirky dogs. Rachael likes to stay busy, constantly juggling writing projects from children’s books to novels. Besides writing and illustrating, she enjoys photography, the outdoors, acting, and sipping steaming cups of coffee. Oh, and cake—can’t forget cake.

Rachael also writes multi-genre short fiction under the pen name R.A. Clarke. Her work has been featured in various publications, and has won both Writer’s Weekly and Writer’s Games.

Author Links – Twitter – Facebook – Website – Goodreads – Instagram – YouTube

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx