Jon Burcaw

The Sidecar Kings Jon Burcaw

The Sidecar Kings

By Jon Burcaw

Life is filled with challenges. You can let them overtake you or you can get ready for the next cool thing to happen. The choice is yours.

Award-winning writer Jon Burcaw, in this, his first book, brings together the unique worlds of wheelchairs and motorcycles. He draws on his own life experiences as an avid motorcycle enthusiast and father of a profoundly disabled child to weave an inspirational tale for young adults.

Eight-year-old TJ, a wheelchair-bound boy, anxiously waits to take the ride of his life in a very special machine during his first Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) summer camp experience. Befriended by a seasoned group of boys at the camp, all with similar disabilities, TJ learns about the amazing trip that lies ahead of him.

But a dangerous storm threatens to ruin the day. Unknown to him, an intrepid group of motorcycle riders responsible for making the special ride happen, are caught in the same storm. As the camp prepares for the worst, the riders soldier on against all odds.

Through great storytelling and clear imagery, this book challenges commonly held stereotypes of bikers and the handicapped as well. At the conclusion of the book is a list Questions to Ponder that will provide group discussion opportunities.

A 1983 graduate of Moravian College, Burcaw published his first piece in the MDA's Quest magazine in 2008. It earned the 2009 Communicator Award of Distinction presented by the International Academy of the Visual Arts.

A fundraising champion for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Burcaw has raised over $120,000 for the cause since 2001. He is pledging a portion of the proceeds of each book to MDA research. He resides in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.