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Spirit Flyer #4
Bicycle Hills
Named a 1989 Lewis Honor Book by Christian Home & School! Uncle Bunkie, the clown, had every kid in Centerville buzzing. A new amusement park had opened just outside of town--Bicycle Hills. There were all kinds of games for anyone who wanted to have fun on a bike. There were other games too, like Caves and Cobras--games the chuldren weren't supposed to tell their parents about. But as Halloween approached, children and adults begin to wonder if the fun of pretending was getting out of hand Once again John Bibee spins a fascinating take as the magic of Spirit Flyer bicycles contronts mysterious forces trying to take over Centerville.
201 pages, Paperback
First published June 22, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 19, 2021
I skipped the third because it is no longer in the library- an unreturned book from years ago.
I put this one lower, not because it's less entertaining but because I have a hard time reading really bad misinterpretations of what role-playing is. Everything else is fine, but what I didn't notice as a child because I had no frame of reference is there is a very direct attack on a certain roleplaying game- in the book called Caves and Cobras. The allegory is very obvious as it makes constant parallels.
For example, what the students are actually playing is something along the lines of lazertag (honestly got a little bit of Ender's Game vibe. I wish there was more of this part in the book.) However, what does the book make a comparison to? It was like playing a boardgame, but real? Huh? Boardgame? That's not a natural comparison, unless it's meant to attack a game that instead of the initials CnC, just go one letter up... It's similar to an early Adventures in Odyssey episode that tries to level a similar attack, but both have no understanding of what it is they are critiquing.
HOWEVER. If you ignore all that, it's fine. Well, except the beginning is a bit too exposition heavy for me. But the story gets rolling once the bike gets set on fire.
I put this one lower, not because it's less entertaining but because I have a hard time reading really bad misinterpretations of what role-playing is. Everything else is fine, but what I didn't notice as a child because I had no frame of reference is there is a very direct attack on a certain roleplaying game- in the book called Caves and Cobras. The allegory is very obvious as it makes constant parallels.
For example, what the students are actually playing is something along the lines of lazertag (honestly got a little bit of Ender's Game vibe. I wish there was more of this part in the book.) However, what does the book make a comparison to? It was like playing a boardgame, but real? Huh? Boardgame? That's not a natural comparison, unless it's meant to attack a game that instead of the initials CnC, just go one letter up... It's similar to an early Adventures in Odyssey episode that tries to level a similar attack, but both have no understanding of what it is they are critiquing.
HOWEVER. If you ignore all that, it's fine. Well, except the beginning is a bit too exposition heavy for me. But the story gets rolling once the bike gets set on fire.
June 7, 2020
Urgh. Why, if you think up this awesome metaphor for the Christian life of flying bicycles, do you then write most of the Magic Bicycle series about the evil that they're fighting? Let's explore how awesome it is to fly bicycles with all sorts of magic instruments!
August 3, 2015
3.5 stars
I read the first four books in this series as a child, and they've haunted my memories ever since. I re-read the first one and was disappointed, so decided to give this a try, as I recollect it being my favorite. Great choice! I enjoyed Bicycle Hills a lot. Even if the protagonist is kind of whiny and angsty, it also does a good job of portraying depression.
My most vivid memories were those of the games played in and under Bicycle Hills, and that was the best part of the book as an adult as well. Sadly, it's only a few chapters. Bibee can't dwell on it, or make it look too cool, as the games are meant to be an allegory for temptation.
I read the first four books in this series as a child, and they've haunted my memories ever since. I re-read the first one and was disappointed, so decided to give this a try, as I recollect it being my favorite. Great choice! I enjoyed Bicycle Hills a lot. Even if the protagonist is kind of whiny and angsty, it also does a good job of portraying depression.
My most vivid memories were those of the games played in and under Bicycle Hills, and that was the best part of the book as an adult as well. Sadly, it's only a few chapters. Bibee can't dwell on it, or make it look too cool, as the games are meant to be an allegory for temptation.
March 31, 2021
I wanted to play the game in Bicycle Hills, so it was compelling how the kids got caught up in it.
This book follows Amy Burke, who is part of the new wave of Centerville inhabitants brought to town by the jobs offered by Goliath factory. Amy is scored pretty high in the Point System, in part simply because of her dad's social standing in Goliath Industry. Due to this, she doesn't really worry about too much else. She's a good student, but not concerned for her ranking if she gets a bad grade. She meets John and Susan Kramer as well as Daniel Bayley on their Spirit Flyers after they rescue her from a mysterious fire and earthquake that seems to be the direct response of a Spirit Flyer bicycle that refuses to be burned by Tiffany and Sloan favor, who tricked another kid into loaning it to them, so they could burn it.
After this rescue, Amy has an experience in the kingdom that reveals both the Kingson and her own chain. She is given a key to unlock herself, but she resists it--throwing the key under her bed.
On the site of the fire and earthquake, Goliath Industries opens a secretive amusement park called Bicycle Hills that is tied into the Point System. Initially, only the kids ranked in the top 300 can get in, and that slight interaction with John Kramer and his Spirit Flyer plummets Amy so low in points that she doesn't qualify to go into Bicycle Hills, and since social affiliations count for or against the kids, she starts to be shunned by those who do qualify for the secretive game. She starts to in turn shun John to get a chance to make up her score and rank.
Finally, Amy seems to be back in a good social standing and gets to go into Bicycle Hills, which turns out to be an underground role-playing game with teams and treasure and toy guns. Honestly, it made me think of an elaborate laser tag course, but as John warns her that it's bigger than it seems. The game is building up to a climax on Halloween--the game will become real. The stakes will become life or death.
Eventually, Amy comes to believe him and goes to Bicycle Hills to save her friends, but she is almost too late. The Deeper World takes over Bicycle Hills, and it becomes filled with an enormous snake and Daimones trying to absorb the children. Soon a battle in the Deeper World for the essence of the children in Bicycle Hills begins just as the world is plunged into a war.
I loved this book as a kid, because of the elaborate game that turns out to be real with dire stakes. As an adult, I still found it exciting and entertaining, though I see more of the allegorical elements and am a little less of a fan. The kids we follow seem more passive in the final climax than I would like because of the emphasis on spiritual elements being the true rescuers. As was the case in the prior book, the end becomes a little exposition heavy. Also, the characters are described as feeling wonderful in the presence of the Kingson, who is the Christ figure, but we don't really see him interacting with them to have those feelings be earned. It's only told in narrative, which was disappointing to me.
I'm kind of torn in how to numerically rank this story, because for the sake of the allegory and the theology Bibee is trying to communicate, I feel he did a good job--I just felt it hurt the overall pay off in the story, which is why I don't tend to be a big allegory fan.
I'd probably give this a 3.5 if I could give a half a star.
This book follows Amy Burke, who is part of the new wave of Centerville inhabitants brought to town by the jobs offered by Goliath factory. Amy is scored pretty high in the Point System, in part simply because of her dad's social standing in Goliath Industry. Due to this, she doesn't really worry about too much else. She's a good student, but not concerned for her ranking if she gets a bad grade. She meets John and Susan Kramer as well as Daniel Bayley on their Spirit Flyers after they rescue her from a mysterious fire and earthquake that seems to be the direct response of a Spirit Flyer bicycle that refuses to be burned by Tiffany and Sloan favor, who tricked another kid into loaning it to them, so they could burn it.
After this rescue, Amy has an experience in the kingdom that reveals both the Kingson and her own chain. She is given a key to unlock herself, but she resists it--throwing the key under her bed.
On the site of the fire and earthquake, Goliath Industries opens a secretive amusement park called Bicycle Hills that is tied into the Point System. Initially, only the kids ranked in the top 300 can get in, and that slight interaction with John Kramer and his Spirit Flyer plummets Amy so low in points that she doesn't qualify to go into Bicycle Hills, and since social affiliations count for or against the kids, she starts to be shunned by those who do qualify for the secretive game. She starts to in turn shun John to get a chance to make up her score and rank.
Finally, Amy seems to be back in a good social standing and gets to go into Bicycle Hills, which turns out to be an underground role-playing game with teams and treasure and toy guns. Honestly, it made me think of an elaborate laser tag course, but as John warns her that it's bigger than it seems. The game is building up to a climax on Halloween--the game will become real. The stakes will become life or death.
Eventually, Amy comes to believe him and goes to Bicycle Hills to save her friends, but she is almost too late. The Deeper World takes over Bicycle Hills, and it becomes filled with an enormous snake and Daimones trying to absorb the children. Soon a battle in the Deeper World for the essence of the children in Bicycle Hills begins just as the world is plunged into a war.
I loved this book as a kid, because of the elaborate game that turns out to be real with dire stakes. As an adult, I still found it exciting and entertaining, though I see more of the allegorical elements and am a little less of a fan. The kids we follow seem more passive in the final climax than I would like because of the emphasis on spiritual elements being the true rescuers. As was the case in the prior book, the end becomes a little exposition heavy. Also, the characters are described as feeling wonderful in the presence of the Kingson, who is the Christ figure, but we don't really see him interacting with them to have those feelings be earned. It's only told in narrative, which was disappointing to me.
I'm kind of torn in how to numerically rank this story, because for the sake of the allegory and the theology Bibee is trying to communicate, I feel he did a good job--I just felt it hurt the overall pay off in the story, which is why I don't tend to be a big allegory fan.
I'd probably give this a 3.5 if I could give a half a star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2025
This is my favorite of all the Spirit Flyer series. Having been a great player of cops and robbers as a kid, I liked the idea of the C & C game, of course until it turned evil. Just take the snakes and demons out of it and I would’ve enjoyed it! But this was the first book where someone who didn’t know the Prince of Kings at the beginning of the story came to know Him. I believe it gets even better in additional books with some bullies coming to know Him too. But, I appreciated Amy’s journey reading it now as an adult, even though as a kid, I didn’t notice it in the same way. Not surprising. This is a great Christian series for kids. The symbolism is rich and really comes alive!
May 2, 2019
Reread this to see if it was as creepy as it was in my childhood, and...yep. It is. It's not well-written at all, and I'm not sure I've ever seen such poor characterization in a novel, but oh my goodness, it is TERRIFYING. Uncle Bunkie and the Daimones will probably haunt my dreams tonight.
August 9, 2017
Read aloud to Emma and Will
May 3, 2009
I read this as a kid - made a huge impression on me. So big, that I finally tried looking it up again. The library didn't carry it. And wow. Still an awesome series. The first book is the hardest for me - glowing red eyes, black snake funnel clouds - scary stuff. But if ever there were a series that did a good job explaining good and bad - the insidious tendrils of evil and the overwhelming unconditional love of God, this is it. Each book in the series is fabulous. My eight year old is not ready for this yet, but I will read it to her when she is ready. I've seen bad reviews - yes, if you are a person who dislikes fantasy, magic and scary stuff, this is not a series for you. But John Bibee did a fabulous job with the Spirit Flyer Series - my kids will definitely go through the whole group with me some day.
August 11, 2016
This is definitely the best book out of the whole Spirit Flyer series. The games under Bicycle Hills are fascinating, you can almost taste the candy and Amy is a very sympathetic character. Also, there's plenty of nefarious corporate plotting from the evil conglomerate Goliath.
December 16, 2007
I finished this book, but I am sad, because we don't have the rest.
July 29, 2011
One of the things I love best about this series is how the writer seems to pull you into the book. I read this one when I was much older, and I felt like I was actually there!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews