The Big Red Bike

Book excerpt: If she pretended that everything was fine, she wouldn't have to explain to anyone how badly she wanted a bike, how unfair it was that another summer had arrived and she was still on the sidelines. Nine-year-old Savannah Tate has just finished the fourth grade. She wants to ride a bicycle more than anything else, but she can't because of a physical handicap. Savannah walks with a crutch, but that isn't as big a problem as convincing her parents that she needs a bike. Maddie and Lucy, Savannah's two best friends, have lived in the same neighborhood since they started school. Whenever the girls want to have some privacy, they head to their favorite spot, an empty lot with a large oak tree. While she works out the details of getting her bike, Savannah and her friends learn that the beloved tree that has always been their haven is in danger of being torn down. The abandoned lot is being sold, and the prospective owner plans to build a new apartment complex. Savannah's spirit of determination helps her discover a long-lost secret about the land the tree sits on and its rightful owner-but will she find a way to save the tree?