Brief Summary: This book tells the story of a mouse named Ralph who lives in a knothole in the walls of an old hotel room.  Ralph is rather adventurous and his curiosity often places him in trouble.  He is fascinated by a toy motorcycle that belongs to a boy named Keith who is staying in the hotel for the weekend with his family.  Not only does Keith befriend Ralph and teach him to ride the motorcycle, he allows Ralph to use it when he is not around.  The adventures that follow are truly unforgettable.
	Parents: The Mouse and the Motorcylce is fantastic for your intermediate elementary school grade students and above.  Aside from a fast paced and highly interesting plot, themes such as bravery, keeping promises, friendship, and doing the right thing are interwoven throughout the story.  These are things that your children can relate to as they are experiencing them in the real world.
	Teachers: It seems that with every turn of the page, Ralph is faced with yet another hard decision to make.  So not only does this book have the core themes mentioned above embedded throughout the story, but it has the potential for teaching your students the comprehension strategies of prediction and drawing conclusions or inferences.
	Personal Note: There is more to this book than the great themes and compatibility to the classroom.  First it is a classic.  I feel it is important to expose our children to the vast amount of material that they may not otherwise have access to.  More importantly, the friendship between Ralph and Keith, mouse and man, displays an example of acceptance that I feel all students should embrace.
	Bibliographic Information: Author: Beverly Cleary Illustrator: Louis Darling Title: The Mouse and the Motorcycle Publication Date: 1965 Publisher: HarperCollins