Bicycle Madness

Bicycle Madness by Jane Kurtz Lillie Pratt, a 12-year-old girl in 1890s Illinois, encounters Frances Willard - her strong-willed neighbor and a prominent suffragist leader. Willard's determination to master bicycle riding at age 53 catches Lillie's attention and sparks her curiosity. The story follows Lillie as she navigates life in late 19th century America, where social rules strictly limit what girls and women can do. Her growing friendship with Frances Willard opens her eyes to new possibilities and challenges her assumptions about gender roles. Through the metaphor of bicycle riding, this novel explores themes of women's rights, personal growth, and the courage to defy social conventions. The historical setting provides context for understanding the early feminist movement and its impact on ordinary lives.

Readers describe this historical fiction novel for young readers as a straightforward story that introduces children to cycling and women's rights in the 1890s. Positive reviews mention the book's accessible portrayal of changing gender roles and the bicycle's role in women's independence. Several readers appreciate how the friendship between Lillie and Frances unfolds. Teachers note its usefulness for classroom discussions about the women's movement. Critical reviews point to slow pacing in the first half and say the characters lack depth. Some readers expected more historical detail and found the plot predictable. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (58 ratings) Amazon: 4/5 (6 reviews) School Library Journal recommends it for grades 4-6. Review excerpt: "A nice introduction to an important time period in women's history, though the story itself is rather simple." - Goodreads reviewer

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🚲 Frances Willard learned to ride a bicycle at age 53, naming her bike "Gladys" and documenting her experience in the book "A Wheel Within a Wheel: How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle" (1895) 👗 Victorian women who wanted to ride bicycles often wore "rational dress" - shorter skirts or bloomers that sparked intense public controversy and debate ✍️ Author Jane Kurtz spent much of her childhood in Ethiopia, where her parents were missionaries, and this multicultural background influences her approach to writing about different perspectives 🌟 Frances Willard, featured in the book, was a real historical figure who led the Women's Christian Temperance Union and used bicycle riding as a symbol of women's independence 🗽 The 1890s became known as the "Golden Age of Bicycles," when the invention of the safety bicycle (with two equal-sized wheels) made cycling accessible to both men and women, helping spark social change