The White Bicycle by Beverley Brenna is a 2013 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book.  Rich with symbols, it is an introspective and reflective book.  The author indicates in the notes that she looks for gaps in available literature when deciding what to write; Ms. Brenna has eloquently filled a gap by giving the fictional character, Taylor, a voice.  Seeing the world and past experiences through the eyes of a young woman with Asperger’s was enlightening.  Taylor is perfectly voiced and struggles, as many young people do, with defining her independence and taking responsibility for navigating her own life.

True to the publisher’s note, this novel can be comfortably read as a stand-alone even though it is the third book in a series.  The White Bicycle is highly recommended for readers who are interested in learning more about individuals with Asperger’s syndrome and about how they view the world.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  1 religious profanity; 5 derogatory names; 1 scatological words; 1 anatomical term; 2 offensive hand gestures.

Violence/Gore:  Report (3) of previous death of family members; report of a suicide many years in the past; report of the death due to natural causes; a child hits/bites teacher.

Sex/Nudity:  Characters kiss; character at beach notes that the French women do not wear bathing suits; reference to menopause, PMS, period; character wonders if snails are mating and if it is “group sex”; reference to “gender is flexible”; a young child did not like to wear clothes when little; a reference to a male’s ex-boyfriend; a male refers to another male as “hot”; innuendo regarding the nature of two male’s relationship.

Mature Subject Matter:

Asperger’s Syndrome, Death, Divorce

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Adults drink wine.