Title: Joseph’s Big Ride
By : Terry Farish Illustrated by: Ken Daley
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Interest Level: K-3
Reading Level: 2.0

Joseph and his mom live in a refugee camp. There were few things to enjoy about life in the camp, so Joseph lets his mind fill with wonder when he sees another young man riding a bicycle. He envisions himself gliding as free as a bird on the swift bike. He never has a chance to ride it, yet he often watches as the young man repairs the bike.

When Joseph and his mother arrive in America, everything is so strange and unfamiliar. Then one day he sees a girl with long flowing hair riding a bike! It flies by, just like the bicycle from the camp. Joseph wants nothing more than to ride that bike, but how can he convince the little girl to let him borrow it?

Joseph’s Big Ride is a lovely story about friendship and appreciation. The book can spark conversations about children in refugee camps, how they enjoy the same things we do, and how it must feel to be displaced. Highly Recommended.