Home › Books for Ages 9–12 › Birth of the Bicycle: A Bumpy History of the Bicycle in America 1819-1900
  • Birth of the Bicycle: A Bumpy History of the Bicycle in America 1819-1900 by Sarah Nelson book cover
  • Birth of the Bicycle: A Bumpy History of the Bicycle in America 1819-1900 by Sarah Nelson book cover
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Birth of the Bicycle: A Bumpy History of the Bicycle in America 1819-1900

by Sarah Nelson

A century of change on two wheels

$17.09 USD
$28.49 USD $17.09 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

A century of change on two wheels

Tracing the bicycle in America from 1819 to 1900, Sarah Nelson’s illustrated nonfiction history follows the machine’s evolution from pedal-less, brakeless wooden velocipedes toward the racing bicycles familiar today. Alongside its engineering story, the book looks at how bicycles shifted from luxury objects for the wealthy to practical lifelines for working people. A timeline and additional back matter extend the account, connecting an everyday form of transportation with a longer history of invention and changing access.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Children ages 9–12 interested in bicycles and cycling history
  • Young readers curious about engineering, invention, and how everyday objects develop
  • Cycling enthusiasts looking for an illustrated historical introduction

Themes

Bicycle historyInvention and engineeringTransportation and social changeAccess and class

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Three cheers for the birth of the bicycle! Hop on for a jaunty, rhythmic ride through a playfully illustrated history.


From the pedal-less, brakeless wooden velocipedes of the 1800s to the sleek racing machines of today, from a luxury for the wealthy to a lifeline for the working class, the bicycle's journey is a study in invention, innovation, and ingenuity. Sarah Nelson's affectionate and poetic tribute covers almost a century of the two-wheeler's development, while Iacopo Bruno's bold, bright artwork illuminates this marvel of engineering. Cycling enthusiasts as well as budding mechanical engineers, inventors, tinkerers, and dreamers will revel in this fact-packed nonfiction adventure story--complete with a time line and other lively back matter designed to remind readers how truly extraordinary everyday objects can be.
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