The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Perfect Chapter Book for 2nd and 3rd Graders

My 4th grade students loved this! I loved reading it again as an adult. Most had never read it. I have a broad range of students this year. The storyline hooked my reluctant readers and my ELL/ESL/CLD students. There was enough drama for my above-level readers. Each day, the students wanted to continue reading to find out what would happen next. The reading level was low enough that my reluctant readers did not become discouraged. I enjoyed listening to the conversations students had about the characters and the story. Most went on to read the next book in the series. I found a segment in our Reading rext that detailed mice, so the kids were excited to learn more. Very happy I picked this for my book study this year. I found the 1980's movie through Prime, and the kids really liked it. Very '80's cheesy, but wholesome, innocent, and cute.

Great story for children

I liked this as a kid so I got it for my 9 year old. He quickly got into it and wanted to read all the books in the series.

MY great grandboys will enjoy this book. I came across this when I was looking for books for a 9 yr old. The price was so reasonable, (smile) I had to order it. One more gift under the tree is a good thing.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle is a portal back to the feelings and interpretations of childhood. It follows the adventurous young mouse, Ralph and his escapades around the faded Mountain View Inn. The book opens with Ralph’s view from his mouse hole of a new guest of Room 215. The daring Ralph’s attention is fixed on the guest’s beautiful toy motorcycle. When the guest, a young boy named Keith, becomes friends with Ralph and learns of his longing to ride the machine, he loans Ralph the motorcycle to zoom around the halls at night. The rest of the book follows Ralph as he takes risks and makes mistakes many humans would find shockingly similar to our own experiences. Beverly Cleary’s genius insight into the feelings of all children shines through in this lighthearted and exciting book. Part of the relatable aspects of the book is its nostalgic setting. The Mountain View Inn rests too far off the highway for the average exhausted roadtripper. It was once a heart of tourism, but its glamor has faded into a quiet and worn refuge deep in the California foothills. Mrs. Cleary’s familiar descriptions create the illusion that the reader is at the hotel with Ralph and Kieth. In a show of her genius, we the readers only see as much of the hotel as Ralph can see. For most of the book we linger in Room 215 and Ralph’s family’s mouse hole within the walls of Room 215. In one exciting chapter, we get to explore the hall as Ralph enjoys a night ride. The rumored downstairs is finally revealed at the end of the book as Ralph ventures down the elevator in a quest to find an aspirin for Kieth. Though the setting lays the scene for a sweet summer story, the amazingly relatable characters brought to life by Beverly Cleary are what have kept this book a classic. Once again, the reader feels as if they have met all these characters somewhere before, from Ralph’s worrisome mother to Matt the bellboy. Ralph’s headstrong personality drives the plot. His adventures are why we love him, but they also get him into trouble. Ralph makes mistakes and is hurt by the consequences in ways every human has felt. Despite his faults, it’s impossible not to be immediately drawn to Ralph because of his unshakeable confidence. A chapter I found hilariously true was Chapter 8: A Family Reunion. The aunts are silly, the uncles are booming, and the cousins are rambunctious. Ralph is unsure of what to say when giggling aunts come up and exclaim “Look how big you are now!” Even unnamed characters such as the lazy summer maid and a grumpy man who has to take his unruly dog out every night are obviously thought through. In conclusion, The Mouse and the Motorcycle is a beautiful book, full of imagination, familiar descriptions and lifelike characters. I couldn’t stop feeling amazed at how accurately Mrs. Cleary framed the experiences of every American child in one creative, captivating book. If you don’t read it as a child, please do as an adult. There’s a good reason why Beverly Cleary’s name is famous in American literature.

From this story, we can learn about responsibility and bravery. I really recommend it. I really cheered for Ralph and enjoyed reading this book.

Returned because we had a duplicate. Great book!

My grandkids loved the story and it kept us on the edge wondering how he was going to get out of the situation he was in. Even me as an adult loved the story and was eager to get to the end to see how it ended. Great story!!