by Amy Novesky
illustrated by Julie Morstad
Penguin Random House, 2020
ISBN 9780593116294 (hc)
$17.99, 48 pp, ages 5 – 9
penguinrandomhouse.com
Your dreams can become reality, especially with a little courage. Girl on a Motorcycle tells of the adventures of Anne-France Dautheville, who was the first woman to ride a motorcycle around the world on her own. This brave, adventurous girl dreamed of wandering the world. Even though she had doubts at times, she listened to the voice inside her telling her to listen to the road. Through her travels she was able to see beautiful sights, learn many new things, and meet many wonderful, helpful people. The poetic text and the stylish, detailed illustrations create interest and wonderful images in the reader’s head. The story reminds the reader that although we may have setbacks, we should always continue with our dreams.
Classroom Connections: Girl on a Motorcycle demonstrates how people can take on their challenges and find beauty in many things. Learning from mistakes is often the best way to learn is another theme of the book. The story also includes many how-to lessons such as how to make a fire, how to drink tea in India, and how to change a tire. Students could write about a challenge they have taken on and include a “how-to” that they have learned. This book could lend itself well to a geography lesson where students could map all the places the girl traveled and do some research on specific areas mentioned in the story. A comparison of the places she traveled could be discussed as well. A few good writing opportunities that could come from reading this book are “How did the girl’s courage allow her to experience the world?” and “How does the girl’s experience show us that the world is a good place? and “What have you experienced in life to show you the same?”
Review by Cindy Haack.
This book review is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Spring 2021 issue.