Hero on a Bicycle - Hardcover

Shirley Hughes

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1406336106 ISBN 13: 9781406336108

Publisher: Walker Books, 2012

Synopsis

This is a gripping and moving first novel by one of the world's best-loved writers for children. In extraordinary circumstances, people are capable of extraordinary things...It is 1944 and Florence is occupied by Nazi German forces. The Italian resistance movement has not given up hope, though - 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? This is a beautifully jacketed edition. It has linked website with historical details about the Second World War in Italy, including period photographs, videos and music, as well as interviews with the author, extra illustrations and much more. This is a wonderful first novel from the internationally revered Shirley Hughes; a modern classic in the making.

About this title

About the Author:

Shirley Hughes has illustrated more than 200 children's books and is one of the best-loved writers for children. She has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and has been awarded the OBE for her distinguished service to children's literature. In 2007, Dogger was voted the UK's favourite Kate Greenaway Medal-winning book of all time. Shirley lives in London.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 5–8–The first novel (Candlewick, 2013) by octogenarian Shirley Hughes, the award-winning picture book author and illustrator, is set in Italy in 1944. The story follows 13-year-old Paolo, his 16-year-old sister Costanza, and their mother. The family lives in the outskirts of Nazi-occupied Florence. Their father, an anti-Fascist, fled when the Nazi's took control, leaving the family in a politically precarious position. Paolo's nighttime forays into the city on his bicycle have brought his family into contact with the Partisans, the Italian resistance, who ask them “in a convincing manner, made more convincing because of the gun” to help them. Told in third-person narration, the story builds in tension, skillfully shifting between the perspectives of each main character as well as the many well-developed secondary characters who add depth and understanding to an age-old question this story seeks to answer: What motivates people's actions in times of war? Simon Vance's incomparable vocal style is a perfect fit for this intense and suspenseful work of historical fiction. With his strong and consistently paced narration, as well as subtle and skillful character voices, Vance's performance is both nuanced and captivating. A website (www.heroonabicycle.co.uk) offers additional material to supplement lesson plans or deepen book discussions. For those interested in offering students more in-depth information about the time period, other supplemental sources would be required. Highly recommended for students who enjoyed John Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (David Fickling Bks., 2007) and historical or WWII fiction.–Chani Craig. Converse Middle School. Palmer, MA α(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About this edition

• Publisher: Walker Books
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1406336106
• ISBN 13: 9781406336108
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224