Bartali’s Bicycle- The True Story of Gino Bartali
Author- Megan Hoyts
Illustrator- Iacopo Bruno
Publication date- February 23, 2021
Publisher- Quill Tree Books.
Gino pedaled across the beautiful streets of Florence, Italy for years, and his merit was shown when he entered the Tour De France in 1938… And wins! The people of Italy crowned Gino a hero, but Gino said “True heroes are those who have suffered. I am just a cyclist.” But little did he know that he would be more than just a cyclist when Hitler sparks the fire of the Holocaust. Strange ideas take action, and soldiers march around the beautiful cobblestone streets of Italy, children are pushed onto giant trucks, and families pushed out of their own homes.Gino thought, I need to do something to help. And so, Gino becomes a secret resistance worker, collecting fake identity papers that will save the lives of thousands of Jews’ lives. Gino is one of the fastest bicyclists in the world. He can cover 250 miles in a day! But Gino wanted to do more. His elaborate plans to protect the Jews work, but when his beloved city turns into a war zone, will the war ever end?