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10 Children’s Cycling Books Recommended by Clancy Briggs Cycling Academy
September is ‘read a new book’ month and 7 September 2020 is ‘read a book’ day - so the timing feels perfect for us to recommend our top 10 cycling books for children.
Here’s our shortlist of favourite kids books about cycling, including picture books for the younger ones and chapter books for those aged 7+.
Reading about great cycling adventures is a brilliant way to keep the kids engaged between academy sessions. Our collection below includes everything from cycling races and mountain bike adventures to brave cycling heroes.
1. Mr. Men Go Cycling by Roger Hargreaves
No book list for children would be complete without at least one Mr Men title! In this book, the Mr Men are getting on their bikes for the Grand Tour bike race. Or should that be unicycles, tricycles and octocycles?! This story even has a ‘Where’s Walter’ feature with Walter the worm hiding in the story for the children to find. Ideal for little ones aged 2 - 5 years old.
See Mr. Men Go Cycling on Amazon
2. Cycle City by Alison Farrell
When little Etta the Elephant goes to her Aunt Ellen's house, she takes a journey through bicycle-filled Cycle City, a town filled with bikes of all kinds! At the end of the day, a special surprise awaits Etta—the most amazing bicycle parade imaginable. This is a beautiful picture book for children aged 3 - 5 years.
3. The Flying Fergus Series by Sir Chris Hoy
This lovely collection is a firm favourite with the Clancy Briggs team. Chris Hoy’s passion for cycling shines through these adventures about an ordinary boy and his big cycling dreams. There are 8 books in the series, ideal for young readers aged 5 - 7 years
Visit The Flying Fergus Website
4. Emmanuel's Dream by Laurie Thomson
This book is based on an inspiring true story demonstrating for children how the power of perseverance can overcome big challenges. Set in Ghana, Emmanuel was born with a deformed leg but had a Mum who taught him to reach for his dreams.
The book tells how he hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. This beautiful book is aimed at children aged 4 - 8 years, but will resonate with kids who are older too.
Check out the full review on the 'Cycling With The Kids' website
5. Princess BMX by Marie Basting
If you’re looking for a modern take on a the classic ‘Princess Fairytale’ this is the book for you! It’s full of fun and magic and features a really strong female lead who challenges the princess stereotypes as she has adventures on her BMX bike. Ideal for children who are 7+
Buy Princess BMX from Waterstones
6. Knights & Bikes by Gabrielle Kent
In this exciting adventure, best friends Demelza and Nessa explore the island of Penfurzy on their bikes, solving puzzles, facing danger and uncovering mysteries. A lovely story of friendship and bravery all whilst riding bikes. For children aged 7+
7. The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss
This story is about a determined 12-year-old girl who bikes across the country to meet her idol - a famous cyclist. With haunted handlebars, bike crushing pigs and a mysterious lady dressed in black, the adventure tells the story of a girl called Bicycle who rides her bike over the uphills and downhills of a long journey to San Francisco. For 8 - 12 years olds
Read all the positive reviews for this book on Good Reads
8. Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes
Written by a much loved children’s author, this book is set in 1944 in Florence, Italy. Although occupied by German forces, the Italian resistance movement has not given up hope, and neither have Paolo and his sister, Constanza. Both are desperate to fight the occupation, but what can two siblings do against a whole army with only a bicycle to help them? Reading age 10+
Hero on a Bicycle is currently in stock at Blackwell's
9. The Boy Who Biked The World by Alastair Humphreys
The main character in this story, Tom, wants to be an explorer. He spends his days dreaming about travelling from Tibet to Timbuktu and he accidentally blurts out his wish at school: I’m going to cycle round the world.
His classmates laughed and no-one believed he could do it. Everyone shouted their reasons why his dream was impossible. But the more that people told him he couldn’t do it, the more Tom wanted to prove them wrong. There are three books in the series. For kids aged 9 - 12.
10. The Brave Cyclist by Amalia Hoffman
This young adult book tells the story of how one person can make a significant difference against violence and prejudice. The main protagonist is Italian Gino Bartali who rose to become a Tour de France champion and one of cycling's greatest stars. But all that seemed unimportant when his country came under the grip of a brutal dictator and entered World War II on the side of Nazi Germany. Putting his own life at risk, Bartali used his speed and endurance on a bike to deliver documents that Jewish people needed to help them escape harm.
Check out an exciting film trailer for the book
What next?
If you haven’t yet signed up for our Cycling Academy in Doncaster, but are feeling inspired by our collection of children’s cycling books, visit our academy page to find out more
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