SUMMER WHEELS

In a neighborhood where few kids own bikes, the "Bicycle Man" (based on a real person) loans out his lovingly renovated collection, with just two rules: the bikes must be returned by four, and if they're damaged, the borrower must help make repairs. One day blond Brady and his friend Lawrence (the African-American narrator) make an early return; Lawrence is dismayed to see a tough-looking boy taking his favorite bike, signing an obviously false name. Sure enough, "Abrehem Lincoln" doesn't bring the bike back until the younger boys pursue him next day; and when he's entrusted with a second bike, he misuses it—but then returns to confide his true name and make an earnest effort at repair. Reformation comes almost effortlessly in this easily read chapter book, yet the dynamics of the situation are true to life as well as idealistic, the story crafted with details that give its characters individuality. In illustrations beautifully limned in impressionistic charcoal and pastels, Allen evokes character, mood, and the West Coast setting. An inspiring story with broad appeal and a handsome format. (Fiction/Young reader. 6-11)