I recently re-read The Magic Bicycle to determine if my fourth-grade daughter is ready for the series. Here is my adult take on the book.
The lines of good and evil are very clearly drawn in this book (which I believe is a good thing). Good is represented by the Spirit Flyers and by a desire to help people (not necessarily by following the rules) and evil is represented by greed, black snakes, chains, and (basically) demons disguised as humans.
The main character, a boy named John Kramer who finds the Spirit Flier bicycle and discovers it’s magical ability to fly, is not good or evil, but he must instead make choices. His relationship with the Spirit Flier and whether or not it will work for him is governed in part by his choice to give in to anger or greed or to choose contentment and helping others.
There are very clear pictures of spiritual warfare in the “deeper world” whose dark forces John must battle to rescue his family. The Spirit Flyer bicycle is a gift from the Three Kings (the Trinity) who faced a rebellion by Treason (Satan). Now the forces of Magic (good) battle the forces of Tragic (evil) who are trying to enslave mankind. There were definitely some profound allegorical pictures throughout the book that I hope sink deeply into my children’s hearts as they read them.
As a parent, I have decided to let my fourth grader begin this series. I don’t think it will be appropriate for every child of that age. The evil is very evil (even more so in later books in the series from what I remember), and might be very frightening based on the temperament of your child. But these books are definitely worth reading when your child is mature enough to not be overly frightened. There are now eight books in the series, and I recently learned that Bibee has also written a series called the Homeschool Detectives. My daughter and I read the first book (he’s updated the kindle versions to include modern technology so today’s kids can relate), and we both thought it was a fun read.
Do you have a favorite book or series that introduces children to the reality of a “deeper world” than what we can physically see? I’d love to hear about it!
Love this post! Have you read The Tale of Despereaux? What are your thoughts on that one. I love the book and used it to spark conversations about things much deeper and more spiritual. The Light and the dark represented truth and a life in sin. We had such a good time reading it and relating it to every day experiences and temptations we encounter. I have no idea if that is what the author intended, but it worked for us!
Hi Sarah! Yes, I read Despereaux to the kids a few years back and really enjoyed it! I can definitely see how you could pull a lot of spiritual truths from that book.
I really appreciate this explanation of this book! I’ve never heard of it before, but it looks like something my 10 yr old son will enjoy. I’m always on the look-out for great books for my kids, and looking forward to previewing this one before handing it off to them. Thanks for sharing with us; visiting from Mom 2 Mom link-up.
I couldn’t get enough of these books as a kid! I’m sure your son would love them. 🙂
I was intrigued by this series when you mentioned it on the RAR podcast, and I’m even more intrigued now. To Amazon I go!
I hope you like it! I’m partial since I read it as a kid 🙂