The Green Bicycle - Hardcover

Al Mansour, Haifaa

3.96

1,006 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0525428062 ISBN 13: 9780525428060

Publisher: Dial Books, 2015

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In the vein of Year of the Dog and The Higher Power of Lucky, this Middle Eastern coming-of-age story is told with warmth, spirit, and a mischievous sense of humor

Spunky eleven-year-old Wadjda lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with her parents. She desperately wants a bicycle so that she can race her friend Abdullah, even though it is considered improper for girls to ride bikes. Wadjda earns money for her dream bike by selling homemade bracelets and mixtapes of banned music to her classmates. But after she's caught, she’s forced to turn over a new leaf (sort of), or risk expulsion from school. Still, Wadjda keeps scheming, and with the bicycle so closely in her sights, she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Set against the shifting social attitudes of the Middle East, The Green Bicycle explores gender roles, conformity, and the importance of family, all with wit and irresistible heart.

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About the Author:

Haifaa Al Mansour is a Saudi Arabian film director and screenwriter, and the winner of an EDA Female Focus Award. Her first feature-length film, “Wadjda,” won the Best International Feature Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival, among other awards, and is the basis of this middle grade novel. Her next film, “A Storm in the Stars” starring Elle Fanning, is set to release in 2016. The Green Bicycle is her debut novel.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 4–8—In 2012, Al Mansour directed the film Wadjda and made history by becoming the first female Saudi Arabian filmmaker to shoot a full-length movie; here, she adapts her successful work for a middle grade audience, with mixed results. Hewing close to the original film, Al Mansour tells the story of Wadjda, a rebellious and snarky 11-year-old Saudi Arabian girl. In a society that prizes modesty and piety in women, Wadjda clashes with authority: fiercely independent, she talks back to adults, listens to Western music, and yearns for a green bicycle she sees in a toy store. When her wayward habits land her in trouble yet again, she decides to go in a new direction by taking part in her school's Koran competition—in order to obtain the prize money and purchase the coveted bike. Wadjda is a well-executed character: despite her feisty nature, she's vulnerable and flawed, and her story will resonate with boys and girls alike. However, whereas in Wadjda, striking visual imagery conveyed the girl's desire for freedom, here, Al Mansour relies on often-clunky prose to describe every action, thought, or emotion. The author often pauses to explain the cultural context of various elements of Saudi culture (the significance of the veil, the concept of a second wife), which provides helpful background for readers unfamiliar with the region but feels purposeful and overwritten compared with the far more artful film. VERDICT The original source material wins out here; however, those seeking to introduce students to Saudi Arabian culture should consider this title.—Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

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