In Henry and Beezus, Henry’s dream bike is a symbol for independence and mobility. As such, it helps Henry transition from being a young child to a more independent pre-teen. One of Henry’s reasons for wanting a bike is so that he can ride it in the Rose Festival Parade, which would distinguish him as being older and more competent than the other kids.

In the story, Scooter is the only character with his own bike, which cements his status as the cool older boy who has more skills, knowledge, and responsibilities than the younger children. He is a skilled cyclist and very knowledgeable about bikes in general. He also uses his bike for his paper route, which further associates bike ownership with being independent and grown up. As Scooter tells Henry, he can do the route as his substitute “if [Scooter doesn’t] think it’s too hard work for a kid without a bike” (53).

When Henry finally buys his bike at the end of the story, he is able to ride home by himself rather than getting a ride from his dad: “‘So long, Dad. See you at home.’ He threw his leg over the bike and rode off without wobbling once” (100).