It All Started With a Bicycle

“It All Started with a Bicycle” by Plum McCauley is a great mystery book.  Eleven-year-old Pam saved her allowance for two years so she could buy a nice, new, shiny green bicycle.  But her beloved bike was stolen after just two weeks.  To earn money to buy a new bike, she went to work at the Chocolate Pot.  The manager of the shop was an ogre!  But maybe there is a more important job than giving out fudge samples. When Zara and her grandmother moved in next door, Zara’s grandmother asked for help to find the lost treasure.  Will Pam get her bike back?  What is the lost treasure and will they ever find it?

The characters in this book were all so likeable.  The author did a great job describing their personalities.  Pam was nice but enjoyed quiet time alone; Zara was kind of gloomy and antisocial; and Maddy was bubbly and friendly.  The kids were all very resourceful and used their heads to solve problems.

The plot had a lot of parts but they all fit together seamlessly.  Everything was so believable.  The mystery, however, was not easily given away.  The story sucked me in, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it until I finished the book.

I would recommend “It All Started with a Bicycle” to everyone, boys and girls.  It was intriguing but not scary.  It was appropriate for younger readers and interesting for older readers.  I will look for more books by Plum McCauley!


It All Started With a Bicycle
Plum McCauley
Outskirts Press (2011)
ISBN 9781432774127
Reviewed by Evan Weldon (age 9) for Reader Views (12/11)