Have Wheels, Will Travel

The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes #4

by Anne Mazer, Monica Gesue (Illustrator)

Abby Hayes is sick of using her sister¹s battered old rollerblades. She is determined to buy herself a brand new pair with purple wheels. But no matter how much money she earns doing odd jobs, she always seems to spend her profits on other things. Will Abby ever stick to a plan to save her money?

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Kids, Read For School

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2001

About the author

Quite a lot of Anne Mazer’s writing education took place while she was unconscious. Her parents wanted desperately to become writers and made themselves get up at 4:00 a.m. Every morning in order to have writing time before their three young children awoke. The first thing Anne heard every day was two big, noisy electric typewriters. The furious sound of typing was her childhood wake-up music. During the day, her parents endlessly discussed ideas, plot, and character, and before she was seven years old, Anne knew about revisions, first and second drafts, and rejection slips. It was like growing up in a twenty four hour, seven day a week writer’s boot camp.

In order to escape from her parents’ obsession with writing, Anne turned to books. She was an avid reader from an early age and credits her love of reading for her writing career. Her favorite works were fantasy, fairy tales, historical fiction, humor, realistic fiction, and adventure. Her other interests were language, art, history, and science. At the age of twelve, she wanted to be an actress, a ballerina and a nuclear physicist. These careers were rapidly eliminated as she realized that a) she couldn’t dance, b) she couldn’t act; and c) she hated math.

Although at the time Anne thought writing was nothing but a nuisance, she now considers herself very lucky to have grown up with two aspiring writers. She learned a lot about discipline, perseverance and dedication to a craft from witnessing her parents’ struggle. They eventually became successful and award-winning young adult novelists.

It took Anne a long time to figure out that she, too, wanted to be a writer. During early adulthood, she worked as an au pair, a bank teller, a pill bottle labeler, a receptionist, an English tutor, and an administrative assistant, as well as other jobs that she was ill-suited for. She attended three universities, spent several years in Paris, traveled throughout Europe, and worked in Boston and New York City.

Anne’s “eureka” moment about writing came while she prepared a research report for one of her bosses. As she lovingly polished each sentence, and meticulously organized the paragraphs, she realized that no one really cared how beautifully she wrote about the latest models of air-conditioners. Except her, of course.

Using her parents’ model of daily writing and discipline, she began to write. It took her seven years to publish her first book, a picture book inspired by her then two year old son, Max.

Anne is the mother of an adult son and daughter. Over the last twenty years, she has written over forty-five books for young readers. She has enough ideas to last for another quarter century and hopes that she will be writing for a very long time.

Fun Facts About Anne Mazer

Her favorite foods are popcorn, rice pudding and blueberries.
When she was a kid, she would sometimes read up to ten books a day.
If she had magic powers, she'd choose invisibility.
She painted the rooms in her house yellow, orange, and violet.
One of her favorite childhood books was The Twilight of Magic, by Hugh Lofting.
When Anne was a teenager, her room was so messy that she needed a map to get from the door to the bed. (sort of)
In school Anne often flunked her favorite creative subjects, like writing and art.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok. This book. It's amazing the power a book or story can have on a child sometimes. I swear I was so inspired after reading this one that I wanted to do an intense cleaning of my room and sell as many things as I could to make lots of money like Abby had done. I was so motivated! It was awesome! And we DID have a yard sale some time after, I still remember it, but I didn't make much out of it. ;)

Anyways, Have Wheels, Will Travel is one of my favourite Abby books, and if you want to motivate your children to clean their rooms and get rid of things, maybe you should consider making them read this! In any case, it's a fun, sweet book, even if the motivation factor doesn't end up working for everyone.

[Rissa Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also bought for only P50! (Fully Booked Sale) :D

Great children's book with lessons on generosity, hard work, friendships, and lots more. A fantastic and quick book that's perfect for young kids.

[Edward Creter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one in the Abby Hayes series really captures my heart, since Abby has changed in a way that is positive! Hopefully it will continue all thru her journey as a schoolkid. Abby is ten and still somewhat separate from her genius Wondertwin sisters and her chess whiz younger brother. To make up for what she lacks in self-esteem, she needs a new set of roller blades--and 40 bucks to cover for it. Then her sister breaks an arm playing basketball and....things change! Abby suddenly finds herself showing kindness towards her competitive sisters, setting up a garage sale and buying presents for her friends who have helped her along the way. WHAT! Could it be she knows that more and better things are there for her in this life than just going capitalist and buying a dumb set of skates, even tho' it feels more of import than friendship? If she can figure it out--WE WILL CELEBRATE!!! Proof positive that love is greater than a selfish culture, and I eagerly await volume 5! Can she maintain her niceness and still be a role model kids can relate to? We'll find out together! See ya in 5!

[Hayley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abby is really a dumb girl but I blame her parents. When the cat got out and she got it back, she did not need to tell the cat's owner about it, why would she do that?! Why cause problems? Ugh. She tattled on herself😒 Then at the end she's spending her money left and right to buy random, cheap presents for all her friends as thank you presents, which was completely unnecessary and pretty weird honestly. An important lesson she failed to learn is that it's not only good to know how to earn money, it's even better to know how to SAVE it.

I seriously can't stand her mom in all these books. And isn't she a lawyer?? She should have enough money to buy her poor daughter some roller blades that aren't broken for goodness sakes. Apparently she also won't let Abby get her ears pierced! Babies get their ears pierced. What kind of psycho, controlling mom is this? I feel sorry for Abby growing up with this lady and it seems she doesn't even realize how messed up her whole family is. Poor Abby.

Anyway, really dumb book that will teach kids bad lessons, I do not recommend.

[Nancy Cabusas]

i think that this book would be an inspiration to other peoples especially the children, because in this book, shows that Abby, wants to buy a new roller-skates. but she don't even have money to buy one. and then her sister, told her, that she could use her old roller-skates. but abby did not want to use her sister's roller-skates because it is vintage. and the roller-skates is the most popular shoes in their school. so instead, she asked help to her family if they could help abby, sell their vintage things/make a garage sale. and then when their business was a success, abby bought her new skates.
This chapter shows that if you want to go with the flow on the new things. and yet you dont have fund to buy that specific thing, then don't be shy to ask help from your parents, because they will help you. like abby, she asked help to her parents.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about how Abby Hayes is longing for a roller skate but her parents tell her to make her own money to buy it herself.She thinks of many ways to earn money but every way she tries it doesn't really work. Finally her older sister recommends her to do a garage sale and at first Abby thought that it was a dumb idea but afterwards after she have tried it out she thought that it wont be really much money. Afterwards she finds out that she earned more than 300 dollars! I think that there are times where something might not look as efficient but it might work. I would recommend this to everyone.

[Kiesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion, Abbey Hayes is a very hardworking fifth-grader. She is tired of using her sisters rollerblades. Since her parents won't buy it for her, she starts to look for ways to make money. She does so many extra things around her house also outside the house she rakes leaves,takes care of pets and so much more. the problem is, is that Abby keeps spending the money. Also, she isn't making much and she is working very hard.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book i read during per-planning at my mom's school. I liked that she had to work to buy the skates just not ask her parents and they gave her the money. Many parents these days just give their kids money or the thing the kid wants when the kids asks.

[Lily]

I learned that people should have allowence, because everyone wants money. So they can get allowence, so they can save it for college or anything they want. It's like doing something good, then you get a award.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

an attempt to read at least one of every paperback series, this title was a nice surprise. abby is a 5th grader who wants roller blades. she gets them the old fashioned way---she earns them. realistic interacion between sibs in this fun series.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very amazing! In this book Abby has a wish list pail. She puts all her wishes on a paper in the pail. Abby also wants her ears piereced and to get new rollerblades. She saves up to get a pair of roolerblades. Read this book to find out more!

[M Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book intended for young readers. Light, entertaining read with an excellent, independent protagonist. In this book of the Abby Hayes series, Abby is attempting to raise enough money to buy new roller-blades, having tired of her sisters' hand me downs.

[™yourbeautifulnightmaree™ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't very good! But i liked the way she earned her money in stead of begging her parents.

[Hannah]

you sould earn mony to buy things

[Kasey :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a book out of a series.
these books are very interesting and i recommened this to any girl.

[Ally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny about roller blades!

[Merrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a 5th grade girl and her life. But it's not girly AT ALL.

[T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Very nice!

[Myah]

a good book but havent read the whole thig yet so hoping part of it is good

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abby wants ewrollerskates bad.She works hard to get them then she finaly got them.Auryn 8yo

[Mustang · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book because Abby Hayes did kind of save up her money and i do not at all save my money.and she her friends a present and i just think that was very nice i wish i could bee like her.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of my favorite books in the series. good tips on how to save money

[Alison Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was okay but it could have abetter solution to the problem.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and I think yes it is good for 9 year old girls and boys like me. Last night I could no t get my eyes off the book it was so exciting when Marshmello got away

[Vianna Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book because it is very interesting, this book is about a girl called abby, she wanted a new pair of rollerblades, and she started to save money to buy a new one, she help her neighbor to babysit to earn money, she also did a lot of things so that their parents or other people give money to her, at last, she have enough money to buy the new rollerblade.

[Annie Beurman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book at a flea market and bought it to relive a piece of my childhood (I read Abby Hayes all the time!) Not quite as good as I remember, but still a lot of fun!

[Vee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Series Review: Ah, Abby Hayes. What a truly unremarkable white girl that I still read about several times throughout elementary and middle school. A little harsh but it is what it is; these books were incredibly bland in proportion to how many times I picked them up over the years. The storylines were sort of relatable to me growing up but looking back, I only really remember being jarred by how un-white my life was (if that makes sense) and how much I liked the covers of the books. Sigh.

[Elton John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great.

[Ciera Legue · Rating 5 out of 5]

she struggled to make and save money to buy rollerblades. she worked hard and through many setbacks she made it to her goal its very inspiring and we get to see a caring side to the supersibs

[Lena · Rating 2 out of 5]

fine