the bicycle spy by yona zeldis mcdonough

Swift’s mother impresses on him early that his “pack belongs to the mountains and the mountains belong to the pack.” His father teaches him to hunt elk, avoid skunks and porcupines, revere the life that gives them life, and “carry on” when their pack is devastated in an attack by enemy wolves. Separated from his pack, Swift, a young wolf, embarks on a perilous search for a new home. (historical notes, glossary, further reading) McDonough’s third-person narrative tells Marcel’s story in simple, straightforward prose, seamlessly incorporating historical detail, including information about Marcel’s passion, the Tour de France.Ī fine story of war, friendship, and taking a stand against injustice. “Why is your family doing all this?” she asks Marcel. Their undercover work now must include helping Delphine and her family. Marcel makes frequent bread deliveries from his parents’ bakery on his bicycle, and when he discovers a note hidden in a loaf, he begins to realize that his parents are part of the Resistance. Now, since the Nazis have invaded the Free Zone, the streets have even more soldiers, and as it turns out, Marcel’s new friend, Delphine Gilette, and her family are in danger when it’s discovered that they are Jewish. It’s 1942, and 12-year-old Marcel and his parents hate the German Occupation and the changes it has brought to their little town of Aucoin-the presence of soldiers, rationing, and shortages of food and gas. The Nazis have occupied France, and Marcel Christophe’s world is suddenly full of mysteries.

The bicycle spy by yona zeldis mcdonough