Genre: Children’s, adventure

Stars: 4

Links: Amazon UK and Amazon US

 

The Blurb:

The first in a fantastically fun, magical cycling adventure series from Sir Chris Hoy.

Fergus Hamilton, a boy who always dreams big, gets a rusty old bike for his ninth birthday from his mum and granddad. It’s not the flashy Sullivan Swift he’d longed for – but when it’s all cleaned up and he takes it for a test run, he discovers something amazing. When the pedals turn backwards, Fergus and his dog, Chimp, are magically transported to Nevermore, a land where cycling is banned by the wicked King Woebegot. He meets the ever enthusiastic Princess Lily, has an amazing adventure bunny-hopping on his bike over the Swamp of Certain Death and outwitting the Knights of No-Nonsense and their Hounds of Horribleness, and lands back in the real world with a bump.

Fergus still has to complete the time trial to join the local cycling team though – can Grandpa Herc and his best friend Daisy help him realise that he doesn’t need magic to succeed, and that hard work, a bit of patience and some help from his friends can do the trick?

 

My Review:

Fun and charming, there’s adventure and lessons galore in this story for young readers…

When Fergus wakes up to see that his dream birthday bike is more scrapheap challenge than raceworthy challenge, his disappointment runs deep. But when he takes it for a spin, he finds himself in a magical world where everything is unexpectedly stranger – and deadlier – than life back home. But can this adventure give him the courage he needs to fight for his dreams back in ‘the real world’?

A joyous read, with the children lapping up the tuneful prose and the adventurous plot. The characters are wonderfully quirky, the story believable (well, the bit set in the real world is at least), and the pace fairly fast. Well-written and beautifully illustrated, this is a fun read for all the family. Recommended.