Renee Emerson

“Renee Emerson’s middle grade novel Why Silas Miller Must Learn to Ride a Bike captures the mystery and misadventures of a child’s summer while shadowed by grief. While getting into mischief with new friends, twelve-year-old Silas obsesses over his inability to ride a bike. His worries are only compounded by the recent death of his mother and the distance of his grieving father. Emerson perfectly captures the nature of loss in light of new possibilities and promises. Her novel never shies away from melancholy realities but still manages to provide plenty of levity and joy.”