The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Written by Beverly Cleary
Illustrated by Louis Darling
Reviewed by Gene R. (age 10)
The book I am recommending is The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary.
In the beginning of the book, Ralph saw some new people moving into room 215.They had something that Ralph thought was pretty cool, a motorcycle. He went to check it out and then his adventure began. Ralph's many adventures led him to his doom in a wastebasket along with the motorcycle. He befriends a human and Ralph jumps at the chance to ride the motorcycle safely. Then, one night Ralph leaves the safety of the hotel room and ventures out by himself. However, little does he know that in the night, many challenges await. Will he make it through the night safely with his new toy?
My favorite part of this book is when Ralph got to ride the motorcycle. This is my favorite part because Ralph had so many adventures with it and this caused a lot of action scenes in the book. This is like the book Poppy because I can relate the two characters together. They are both brave mice and they both go on huge adventures. A difference is that Poppy is doing it for the good of others, but Ralph is going for a joyride, but they both overcome challenges. Another book I read by the same author is Runaway Ralph. The author of the book is Beverly Cleary too. I can relate the two books because they both have the same characters and Ralph keeps getting into loads of trouble. Beverly Cleary puts a lot of description into her books, like when she describes Ralph's ride on the motorcycle. This book reminds me of my life because my Dad once let me ride his motorcycle. This reminds me of my life because Keith let Ralph ride his toy motorcycle. I felt excited but nervous at the same time when I climbed onto the motorcycle; I bet Ralph felt the same way when he climbed on. When I rode the motorcycle, I was not nervous anymore. Ralph was a little unsure of himself until he got used to the motorcycle also.
I recommend this book to children ages 9-11 because kids usually get into trouble and can relate to Ralph's mischief. The action scenes will keep you wanting to read and the description that Beverly Cleary adds makes you feel like you are on the adventures with Ralph. If you like fiction, you are in for a great ride!