We had so much fun with The Reading Race a few months ago that I was sure I wanted to do another book from the Ready, Freddy! series sooner or later. Yikes! Bikes! is perfect.
The animal shelter in Freddy’s town has organised a fundraiser, one that involves a Bike-a-thon. Max Sellars goads Freddy into making a bet with him, and the young protagonist rashly bets that he can ride more laps than the class bully.
The problem? Freddy can’t ride without training wheels yet and he has just two weeks to figure it out!
Lighthearted and humorous, Yikes! Bikes!, like The Reading Race, allows us to do a lot as we read it together at my book club.
The Hidden Fin
As we read The Reading Race, everyone took part in a different sort of race – seeing who could find the word “fin” hidden in the pictures first! The protagonist Freddy loves sharks, so the word is hidden in each picture of Yikes! Bikes! too. Plus, there are puzzles at the end, which I’m sure we’ll enjoy solving at my book club!
Challenges
Riding a cycle can be challenging, and this is the perfect stimulus for a conversation about things we do that seem difficult or frightening at first. What did you decide to do even though you were afraid? Sometimes, it is equally brave to refuse to do something that all your friends are doing. I’d love to know if the children have experienced that too!
Pets
The Bike-a-thon in Yikes! Bikes! is in aid of the animal shelter, and Freddy is enthusiastic about participating even though he knows his mother will never allow him to have a pet. Children and animals share a very special bond, and this will be the perfect occasion to talk about unusual pets, as well as pets the children may already have. I used to have a virtual pet too – a panda! I wonder if that’s more common now – I’m waiting to find out.
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