The Bad Pups: How It All Began

Welcome to Crafton, Pennsylvania, a cozy suburb of the once-big steel city, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where motorcycle clubs' rule! Six-year-old Bad Chad-BC for short-and one of his friends, Big Wheel Bobby, both come from motorcycle club families. BC's Uncle Howard and Big Wheel Bobby's dad belong to a well-known Crafton motorcycle club, and there's nothing the boys want more than to be just like The Big Dogs. Club life is the life they know, and they wouldn't have it any other way. But of course, they don't ride motorcycles. These boys ride Big Wheels, and they're the coolest first graders to ever pop a wheelie!

A club of loyal pals, a birthday party with a giant moon bounce castle, neighborhood rivalries and Big Wheel drag races-BC has all that and a mini-fridge stocked with juice and iced cold milk. Bad Chad (who's not actually bad) and his friends pack as much as possible into the week of Chad's sixth birthday, which is also the final week of summer. The boys meet a new neighbor (a girl-yuck!), face down bullies on bicycles, and form their very own motorcycle club. And by "motorcycle club," I mean, Big Wheel club; and by "face down bullies," I mean, stand around and watch while the new girl handles it.

But BC is a biker pup for the twenty-first century and is secure enough in his Bad Pupness to not feel threatened when a girl moves in and shakes up his status quo. Not so for Bad Chad's best friend, Mad Mikey, who can't wait to show the girl who is really boss on a Big Wheel. When BC calls the rest of his boys-Big Wheel Bobby, Crazy Coop, and Big J for backup, they bring adventure, a little trouble, and a whole lot of fun.

Reminiscent of such classics as The Little Rascals and The Sand Lot, the young boys that make up the "Bad Pups" are full of energy and curiosity. They also seem to be magnets for mishap and adventure. In this first book of a 14 book series, the Bad Pups establish themselves as an "official" club, while also navigating the challenges involved with a new neighbor (a girl unlike any other they've met), the neighborhood bully, and trying to stay one step ahead of their parents throughout their adventures.

This book is geared for a young reading audience, but its humor and heartwarmingly honest portrayal of kids simply being kids will appeal to readers of all ages. This book is one that can be shared, and enjoyed, by the entire family, presenting a valuable opportunity for parents to establish literacy skills in their young children while recapturing the sense of mischief and curiosity intrinsic to youth, which is so effectively portrayed through the characters in this book.