Book Description
You're going to Paris? And taking the kids? No problem - Paris with Kids offers a pro's insider tips for reconciling the adult, romantic side of Paris with the city's kid-friendly, adventurous aspects. The author presents a wealth of advice on how to plan a family visit to Paris, and how to have a blast while you're there. It shows how to enliven the tourist experience of Paris for youngsters: sending them searching for gargoyles, tracing the Secret of the Sorcerer's Stone in the Marais, and of course stopping by EuroDisney and the Eiffel Tower. There are countless anecdotes relating the people, events, and legends that make up the story of Paris.
Paris With Kids also features kid-tested recommendations for family-friendly hotels and restaurants, both in Paris and on day-trips outside the city. We include where to shop with kids for food, clothing, toys, English-language books, and other souvenirs; we offer our favorite playgrounds, green spaces, and amusement parks, suggestions for sports activities, and where to see magic shows, ride in a hot-air balloon, find kids' gourmet cooking classes, and how to make museums fun and enjoyable for the little ones.
Customer Reviews:
Head and shoulders above the rest.......2007-09-22
We have several different guides for seeing Paris with kids but this one takes the cake. What we've particularly enjoyed are the suggestions of other sights within a vicinity that make it easy to plan a day or an afternoon. We definitely would have missed some of these smaller sights -- such as the shopping passages along the Grand Boulevards and the bird market on Ile de la Cite -- that our kids truly enjoyed. Gwinner offers sensible and imaginative advice that make sightseeing with kids a pleasure.
A Great Travel Guide Period.......2006-05-01
This is an excellent travel guide that happens to focus on things that are especially appealing when you are traveling with kids. The descriptions of the sites around town are interesting and well done. Even though this edition is a few years old, the restaurant and hotel recommendations were still extremely helpful in the spring of 2006. It was especially nice to have recommendations for places that mainly drew Parisians in areas that had heavy tourist traffic. This enabled my son and I to really experience Paris rather than just be exposed to other tourists. I looked at some other traveling with kids books and even bought the Cadogan guide but this one was head and shoulders above the rest. If you are bringing your child or children to Paris, I would suggest combining this with a guide that includes good maps of the city such as the Moon Metro Paris.
OK, but there are better ones out there........2006-04-09
No maps, no discussion of Disney paris, A must for children in Paris. A better one is by Truszkowski, which has great color pics and maps and better info.
Terrific planning -- and touring -- guide.......2004-10-28
Highly useful -- before getting to Paris and while there -- plus a fun read. My 11-year-old read most of book and found unique spots she wanted to visit -- like the pet shops near Pont Neuf. We enjoyed reading the boxed "Fun Facts" as we visited sites. Good entry-level history to France (for example, there's a 1-paragraph summary of "Who was Napoleon" tied to the description of Les Invalides). Filled with great tips on getting around Paris and highlights for different age kids.
Fascinating Fun! Buy it, pack it and go!.......2004-04-21
Our family is similar to the authors: Franco-American, two kids (also boys) and a love of Paris. We thought we knew everything there was to know about Paris with kids, but this book taught us a wealth of new material, revealing an entire "new" city. If it could teach these old Paris hands a thing or two, just think what families new to Paris will learn. This book has a great mix of facts, fun, frivolity and fascination scattered throughout its pages, and is all you really need for a well-rounded trip to the City of Light. Buy it, pack it, and go!
Book Description
Paris has just moved in with the Lincoln family, and isn't thrilled to be in yet another foster home. She has a tough time trusting people, and she misses her brother, who's been sent to a boys' home. Over time, the Lincolns grow on Paris. But no matter how hard she tries to fit in, she can't ignore the feeling that she never will, especially in a town that's mostly white while she is half black. It isn't long before Paris has a big decision to make about where she truly belongs.
Nikki Grimes has created a portrait of a young girl who, in the midst of being shuffled back and forth between homes and realizing things about other people and the world around her, gradually embarks on the road to discovering herself.
Customer Reviews:
Okay.......2007-08-20
I found this one predictable and somewhat shallow. Also, a bit unrealistic, in the space of a couple of months, the alcoholic mother turns her life around, meets a man, marries and sets up a stable home with plenty of room for the two children she abandoned. The issues of racial prejudice and religion are handled completely without subtleness.
It was good, but it could have been better.......2007-03-26
I was slightly disappointed. After reading the great reviews I picked up this book. It got off to a very suspenseful start and then kind of stagnated. I felt like the author was going somewhere with it but then didn't. Paris' background is interesting. She is described as African-American, but with blonde hair; that in and of itself is unusual. The author, however, only touches on it briefly in her general description of Paris. I was left wondering if this young girl felt ostracized by both races and if she felt any kind of identity crisis. I also thought it a bit odd that she rarely thought about her Caucasian father who walked out on her family. I was also left wondering about her older half-brother and protector, Malcolm and if he ever had any awkward feelings about his mixed race sister. Since he was older and would have had more memories of Paris' father I wondered how he felt and if he harbored more resentment for their mother than Paris.
I also got the impression that the author tried to omit any references that might date this story; however, I found it dated by the absence of technology. Unfortunately, the foster care system is just as flawed today as it was then. I'm considering giving this book to a student of mine who is dealing with some similar issues.
Overcoming the stigma of being a biracial girl in a white town........2007-02-04
Nikki Grimes' THE ROAD TO PARIS tells of Paris, who has been moved from one mean foster family to another, never fitting. She expects no betters from her latest family the Lincolns - but they are different - perhaps even different enough to help her overcome the stigma of being a biracial girl in a white town.
The Road to Paris.......2006-10-24
Eight-year-old Paris Richmond barely remembers the white father who gave her blond hair; he left when she was four. The story goes that he hated owning up to a child with dark skin. Paris' ten-year-old brother, Malcolm, hadn't fared much better. His dad left when Malcolm was just a baby. But being father-less didn't mean that they ever accepted their mom's latest husband as any kind of substitute, so when he walks out, Paris and Malcolm are actually glad. Their mom, on the other hand, slips into depression and turns to alcohol for comfort. Things get so bad that their mom often abandons them to spend hours at the bar. That's when Child Services steps in, and Paris and Malcolm are shipped out to a foster home.
But life is hardly pleasant at the Boone house, and Paris knows it will never be home. After getting locked in the closet for days on end, punished for crimes the Boone daughter did, and then beaten black and blue, Malcolm and Paris know they have to get out of there. They run to the only family they have left, their grandmother.
Unfortunately, their grandmother is hardly glad to see them. According to her, she's raised her kids and now she's done. She contacts Child Services and new foster homes are considered---but this time they separate Paris and Malcolm.
Malcolm is Paris' strength, hope, protection and only source of love, and it tears her to pieces when they send him to a boys' home. Paris ends up in the suburbs, with a family by the name of Lincoln. Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln have two boys of their own, plus a teenage girl fostering with them. She enters the old but comfortable house with trepidation; she holds no hope for her present or her future. But within a few weeks, she knows she's not with people like her mom or the Boones'. She has her own small, but cozy bedroom, and no one beats her or locks her in the closet. The Lincolns never coddle her, yet they make her feel welcome, accepted and safe with their acts of kindness. And when she goes to their church for the first time, she discovers amazing joy in the music, and happily joins the choir. She even uncovers faith in God that helps her through the anger she feels for her mom.
Even though she constantly misses her brother, she begins to feel she can call this place a home. She even made a friend at school. But then she gets a phone call from her mom---and her mom wants her back.
Ms. Nikki Grimes is an award-winning author, and her talent shows in her newest story, THE ROAD TO PARIS. Her life-like characters speak from the heart, and her expressive and colorful descriptions are perfectly presented through eight-year-old eyes. The story line moves smoothly and engagingly. Ms. Grimes is sure to see more writing awards in her future.
--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of Finding My Light and The Black Pond
--- Courtesy of www.kidsreads.com
The long and winding road.......2006-10-09
Here's a fun way to determine whether or not a book will make for a good discussion in either a classroom or a bookclub. First, read the book. Two possible choices now lay before you. If you finish the title and find yourself 100% perfectly clear on why every character performed as they did, that is not a good book for discussion. If, however, you do as I did with "The Road To Paris" and after finishing the book suddenly find yourself thinking and rethinking the book's ending in a vain attempt to determine whether it was happy or sad, then THAT, my friend, THAT book has incredible promise. All the great classic books, from "The Giver" to "Charlotte's Web" have that quality. Now "The Road To Paris" has it too, and I would not hesitate to thwap it soundly on the head with the CLASSIC stick. This is a good book. A good book that manages to talk about a serious, even depressing subject without dragging the reader down into the realms of misery. No small feat, to say the least.
"Ask Paris if a phone call can be deadly. She'll tell you. She learned the truth of it last night." For years, Paris and her older brother Malcolm have only had one another to count on. Though they've been taken from foster home to foster home, Paris can still remember and be hurt by the memory of their alcoholic mother. So when Malcolm and Paris escape the latest abusive home to stay with their grandmother, she's unprepared for the horror of being separated from Malcolm after all these years. Paris has been sent to live with the Lincolns, a kind family who've dealt with foster kids before. It takes a great deal of love and understanding on their part to break through Paris's wary shell so as to convince her that she is finally safe. But when a phone call comes from her real mother telling her she can come live with her again, Paris must decide what "home" really is.
Reviewers seldom comment on the length of a children's book, unless they happen to be dealing with a 700+ page fantasy tome (or, as the book industry calls them, "the norm"). I, however, would like to point out that "The Road To Paris" stands at a handsome 153 pages. From this length, we may understand that Nikki Grimes does not stand for overwrought flowery speech. Her language is remarkably beautiful, as much in what she doesn't say as in what she does. When, for example, you read right at the beginning that, "In the world of Paris Richmond, normal was rare, and rich", those words weigh heavy on the page. Descriptions abound and they aren't there to merely fill up space but to give the narrative itself a three-dimensional quality. There is a moment where Paris sees for the first time in her life her neighborhood buried until a thick covering of white powdery snow. "Paris thought it was a shame to disturb all that perfection, but she planted her bots into the snow, one step after another, creating a trail of fat footsteps even the man in the moon could see..."
Ms. Grimes also has the remarkable ability to preach without sounding preachy, if that makes any sense at all. In this book, Paris finds God. Early into her foster care stay with the Lincolns, her new foster brother David tells her that he combats fear by keeping "God in my pocket." Later, as Paris grows emotionally strong, she holds fast to her belief that God is with her, even in the most unpleasant of circumstances. Some authors wouldn't be able to write any of this without making the book into some kind of didactic sermon. Instead, Grimes balances out the good with the bad, allowing the reader the chance to decide for themselves whether or not Paris's faith with help or hurt her in the future.
Until I read this book the only Nikki Grimes title I'd ever read was her Coretta Scott King Award-winning, "Bronx Masquerade". Honestly, I didn't like "Bronx Masquerade" very much. I thought the characters used too much contemporary slang that would grow outdated very quickly, thereby making an otherwise well-written book a relic before its time. "The Road To Paris", in contrast, could not be more different. First of all, it's difficult to say when exactly this book takes place. It could be in the past or it could be next week. It features a foster care system that performs in a believable fashion, sometimes making a situation better (for Paris) and sometimes making a situation worse (for Malcolm). The language doesn't have a drop of soon-to-be-outdated slang anywhere, and nobody goes about yammering into the latest cell phone or iProduct. I hate to drag out that overused word "timeless" to describe "The Road To Paris" but the book leaves me with very little choice in the matter. How else am I going to describe a story that feels this real and, I know, will continue to do so for years to come?
Name five children's chapter books written by and about African-Americans in the year 2006. Go on. Name `em. If you can't do it, and I know that you can't, then we have a problem. Nikki Grimes is an amazing writer but publishers would do very well to know that she can't do it alone and she needs some company. If "The Road To Paris" doesn't find itself included on every single Best Children's Books of the Year list for 2006 then you'll know something is terribly awry. One of the smartest titles to come out this year, to say nothing of its bravery. I won't tell you the ending of this book, for obvious reasons, but a co-worker of mine recently commented that adults and children will have very different reactions to Paris's final decision. Consider this a great title for discussion and contemplation. A book worth remembering for a long time to come.
Book Description
Sensitively guides couples through the medical, relational, and ethical questions surrounding birth control options from a Christian perspective.
Customer Reviews:
Exactly what I was looking for.......2006-09-23
As a newlywed, this book has been very helpful. A few months into our marriage, I began to question the form of birth control we had chosen. A friend suggested this book, and I am so happy she did. Paris explains in clear language so many things about birth control, ovulation, anatomy, and sex that I didn't know before. The questions at the end of each chapter sparked conversation between my husband and I about issues we had not discussed before. While Paris writes from a moral Christian standpoint, the book is written in a frank practical way, not overly spiritual. Paris raises moral questions, but allows the reader to come to his/her own conclusions. This book has helped us to come to a point of feeling confident and comfortable with our choice of birth control, and it has also informed us of other methods we may want to consider later in our marriage. I would highly reccommend this book to anyone who has questions about birth control, especially those who are newly married or preparing for marriage.
Very helpful!.......2005-04-12
This book was a wonderful way to resolve many of the questions my fiance and I had about birth control. As a Protestant Christian, I felt that there was a lack of information on birth control--I had taken Natural Family Planning classes through a local Catholic parish, but was hoping to find some counsel that combined both the medical perspective and the moral/religious aspect in a way seperate from the specific teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Paris' book was extremely helpful in my questions and concerns. I would highly recommend this book!
Wonderful informative.......2004-09-14
This book was invaluable, and I feel that it should be a gift to every engaged Christian Couple.
This books looks closely at the Biblical and moral issues of all the methods of birth control out there. You will walk away feeling informed and empowered by this book! Very well written and easy to read, but incredibly thorough, and well researched. Very solid theological explanations througout to help you make decisions that you can feel right before God about.
Expertly examines the pros and cons of various methods.......2003-08-07
Birth Control For Christians: Making Wise Choices by Jenell Williams Paris (Associate Professor of Anthropology, Bethel College, St. Paul, Minnesota) is a book of facts and choices, presented without judgmental overtones, written expressly to inform Christians of all denominations about the various means of birth control. A fertility awareness instructor with Fertility Awareness-Twin Cities, Paris expertly examines the pros and cons of behavioral methods, barrier methods, hormonal method, IUDs, and male and female sterilization -- however, abortion is not discussed extensively since Christian denominations generally oppose it. Birth Control For Christians: Making Wise Choices is a highly recommended resource on the subject of family planning and birth control technologies for all interested Christian couples.
Book Description
Each book focuses on up to 68 terrific ideas for family days, from museums and puppet theaters to skyscrapers and parks. Written by parents who live in the cities they cover, these books are smart about what kids like--and about what parents need. All the details for planning are included: addresses, phone numbers, admission prices, and age-appropriateness. "Hey, Kids!" info boxes provide fun facts and interesting trivia about the destination, and "Kid-Friendly Eats" features recommend three or four places to grab a bite to eat nearby. Fun to read and easy to use, these handy little guides make it easy to plan an enjoyable, hassle-free day with children in the world's most popular cities. They're perfect idea books for every city parent and grandparent, and indispensable aids for families on vacation.
Customer Reviews:
Good but not great.......2007-02-12
Fodor's gives the basics needed to travel with kids in Paris, but the information about days in operation and opening hours is not always accurate.
Alan Safani
Great ideas; check open days/time on line.......2006-04-02
Just finishing a month in Paris with my 7 year old and used this book daily as a starter for planning our activities. As with any travel book, double check the opening times and days on-line for EVERY place you want to go. Even with the big museums, various exhibits are often closed on certain days even if the museum says they are open. (Ex: Louvre doesn't have enought staff to keep every gallery open every day. Their website tells you what's open when so you don't take your future Egyptologist to the Louvre when most of those rooms are closed.) If you are from the United States, also take with a grain of salt when a commercial venue (not historic monument or museum) is rated as 'great' in this book. As my older boys observed on a visit to Paris with me 13 years ago: Europe does "old" really well and the USA does "new" really well. You don't come to Paris to go to water parks and toy stoys!
Try 60 Great things to do.......2005-10-09
We ordered this book and started to look it over on the plane. Our daughter's first trip to the CITY OF LIGHTS! The attractions are listed in reverse order of interest, we slowly and with great anticipation read #68 Aquaboulevard, then #67 Arc de Triomphe, #66 Arenes de Lutece, #57 Champs-Elysees.......wait, that's not right!!! Attractions 58 through 65 ARE MISSING!!! I guess it didn't matter that the Centre de la Mer wasn't too exciting, since that was #59 in the table of contents, which was NOT INCLUDED our book. #65 Bateaux Parisiens, must have sunk, not there. #64 Bercy Village, we are back from a summer in France and still don't know what that is. #63 Bois de Boulogne, I thought that was the red light district, but apparently there is supposed to be something for kids too, just not included in our book. #61 Catacombes, I visited this once before, I loved it and wanted to take the family, it was closed this summer, no mention of anything like that in our printing. #60 Cathedrale de Notre-Dame-de-Paris, I admit, if you go to Paris and can't find this one on your own then a book isn't going to help any, but still it would have been nice, just for continuity. #58 Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, I can't imagine what a kid could enjoy about this, maybe if it was included in the book I could tell you, but it wasn't. So if you wan't to do 60 things in Paris, by all means take this book, but if you plan on anything more than that, buy something else.
Not well researched.......2005-10-07
One exaple: After arriving at Versailles with my sleeping daughter in her stroller, we found out no strollers were allowed inside. There were 3 other parents with babies/strollers spending there time outside the palace as well, probably wishing they wouldn't have made the trek.
Nothing was listed to this effect, it said it was a great place for kids. I'm sure it is, but that is a relevant piece of information for parents of small children.
And I thought Paris was a city only for adults!!.......2005-07-25
I had spent a lot of time in Paris in the 1980s and recently went back with my 1 1/2 yr old son. This book was immensely helpful. As other reviewers noted, it highlights areas like Arenes de Lutece and Jardin des Plantes that are less touristy but great for kids. In fact, we met many Parisian families by going to the areas that the Parisians used. In regards to the one negative review, we did buy the 2nd edition (2003) so didn't have any logistical issues...although you should always call ahead in whatever city you may be traveling. As a plus, it's small and easy to travel with. (One minor complaint, we felt that the aquarium wasn't worth the time it took to get there, it is "modest" in size and scope). But the book - Strongly recommend.
Book Description
What would Tim Diamond, the world's worst private detective, do without his quick-thinking brother Nick? The bumbling detective and his kid brother are at it again in these three hilarious, fast-paced mysteries. Whether it's finding out who flattened a philanthropist with a steamroller in The Blurred Man, outsmarting Parisian drug smugglers on a vacation gone miserably wrong in The French Confection, or catching the murderer behind a deadly class reunion in I Know What You Did Last Wednesday, there's never a dull moment with this crimesolving duo around. Find out if Nick can get to the bottom of these mysteries before Tim messes everything up, or worse, gets them both killed.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!!!.......2007-05-30
This is a fantastic book. From trying to figure out who flattened Too-nice-to-be-true philanthropist Lenny Smile in "the blurred man", to trying to find the "Mad American" with a pack of sugar in "The French Confection", to trying to catch the murderer in "I know what you did last Wednesday", Tim and Nick Diamond, or rather Herbert and Nick Simple, are sure to have hilarious adventures, due to Tim's dull-mindedness.
I think this book is a great book. It made me laugh out loud at some parts, and I was very scared at some parts. It was mostly because Tim is so unintelligent, and he gets the two boys into a lot of trouble. I recommend this book. However, I think this book would be good for younger kids, maybe ages seven to nine. Anthony Horowitz has created a laugh-out-loud novel that people are sure to like.
"Three of a Kind".......2005-12-23
Anthony Horowitz continues his enjoyable Diamond Brother's series with the "Three of Diamonds" in which 13 year old Nick, the real brains behind the operation, must solve the crimes before his dumb older brother, Tim, gets them killed in these three hilarious mysteries. In "The Blurred Man" an American asks Nick and Tim to solve who killed his friend, the too-nice-to-be-true philanthropist, Lenny Smile. In "The French Confection" Tim wins a trip via a yogurt to France and Nick finds himself embroiled in a Parisian drug plot. And finally, in "I Know What You Did Last Wednesday", Tim gets invited to an old class reunion where someone is killing off all of the old students. And before long, it's Tim's turn to die. As always, Horowitz cleverly plants his clues and the story is never boring with Nick's sarcastic voice and Tim's hilarious antics. These fast-paced, action-packed and just pure hilarious mysteries are a quick read for all those avid mystery fans out there. Not to be missed!
Nick Brennan loved this book........2005-12-01
This was a fantastic book! It was two books in one, a great deal.
In th first part Nick and Tim are asked by an American man to try and find out what happened to Lenny Smiles, the mysterious man that he had donated millions to. As the truth unravels esplosions, gunfights, and car chases frequent the pages.
In the second section they are in Paris. They meet a mysterious steward who gives them a package of sugar while trying to tip them off about a drug smuggling ring between France and Britain. Police, sweet sellers, and Texas oil entrepuners are the new friends here.
In the final section a reunion with a classmate becomes a weekend chalk full of murders and memories.
This is an awsome book and should top you or beloved's Christmas list!!
Book Description
Cadogan's best-selling family guide will open reader's eyes to the best of 'mini' Paris, from the obvious thrills of a trip up the Eiffel Tower to the unexpectedly delightful browsing for old toys in the Marché Aux Puces de St Ouen. Quizzes, challenges and stories bring the city to life for young visitors and itinerary ideas will keep even the most demanding kids amused. Why not spend a day on the trail of the French Revolution, explore underground Paris or meet the animals at the city's best zoos? A whole section is devoted to the wonders of Disneyland Resort Paris, featuring tips on everything from queuing for rides to the best place to watch favorite Disney characters in the parades. Packed with detailed advice and information, including personally researched child-friendly hotels and restaurants and details of how to get around, this guide will help every family's trip go as smoothly as possible and make wails of 'I'm bored' a distant memory.
Average customer rating:
- Doesn't everybody want to be a hobo
- A Light, Cheery Read
- A Rocky Tale
- The Greatest Book Ever By Immanuel Gutierrez CCMS
- A heartwarming story
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The Family Under the Bridge
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ASIN: 0064402509 |
Book Description
This is the delightfully warm and enjoyable story of an old Parisian named Armand, who relished his solitary life. Children, he said, were like starlings, and one was better off without them.
But the children who lived under the bridge recognized a true friend when they met one, even if the friend seemed a trifle unwilling at the start. And it did not take Armand very long to realize that he had gotten himself ready-made family; one that he loved with all his heart, and one for whom he would have to find a better home than the bridge.
Armand and the children's adventures around Paris -- complete with gypsies and a Santa Claus -- make a story which children will treasure.
Customer Reviews:
Doesn't everybody want to be a hobo.......2007-08-23
I picked this book up at the library thinking that it might help me in my own writing process and found it to be a good story with a wholesome underlying message.
Armand is a friendly hobo in Paris who is entering the holiday season. At these coldest of times, he makes his way to his usual dwelling under a bridge. This year he finds three young children and their mangy dog occupying his normal spot.
What Armand comes to find out is that these children and their mother are homeless because they can't afford rent. Armand is firm about moving on because he doesn't want the "starlings" to steal his heart. Yet, the children eventually soften his heart enough that he feels compelled to stay and help.
This story helped me realize why we actually go to work. Most people would probably not go to work if they didn't have bills or a family that needed their care. Honestly, it would be very intriguing to pack a small bag and travel around the country. Oh, you might have to humble yourself and ask for a few things on the way, but it sounds fun. I probably wouldn't mind sleeping outside on occasion. You figure, everyone needs a breath of fresh air and the outdoor sounds could become peaceful. Yet, I suppose there would come a time that you would have to move on.
Armand put it best about begging when he said, "It takes away a man's self-respect." There comes a time in a man's life where he has to decide whether he's bum or whether he is willing to work. We all know work is not fun. That's why it's called work. You do your job not because you like it (even though that might be the case), but because you must for your family's sake. It is for the love of your family that you move on and face a job full of hardship.
I pray that more people change their ways like Armand and decide to love and care for other people besides themselves.
A Light, Cheery Read.......2006-12-12
Like a cheery cup of cocoa, this little book will warm you during the holidays. A Paris hobo, Armand, is content in his life alone, and refuses any sort of commitment, never letting anything affect his freedom or his heart. This all changes when he finds his favorite winter shelter is occupied by a homeless family of three children. Cold, tired and hungry, he sets out to cheer them up by taking them to see Santa Claus, getting them fed along the way by taking up change for their singing. When the mother finds out, she is furious, and refuses all charity. Armand packs his meager belongings and walks away, only too happy to leave the little "starlings" on their own, lest he loose his heart and experience any more ingratitude. As he says, "The street has a way of taking your pride."
The next day, however, he finds a pair of do-gooding women on their way to the authorities. Armand knows their do-gooding will surely result in breaking up the family while the unsuspecting mother is at work. What to do? And what to do about the children's insistence that Santa is going to bring them a house for Christmas? How can he keep them together, without their loosing faith in Santa and all of the good things of this world?
This is a cheery, well-written story that will take you no time to read--it's not much bigger than a short story. However, the author throws in some clever twists that lead you to a different ending than you would normally expect. Uplifting and simple, it's the kind of book to get your children at Christmas to make them aware of not only other people's needs, but other people's kindness.
A Rocky Tale.......2006-03-04
Armand is a hobo and hates children. One day, he arrives back under the bridge (his home) only to find kids and their mother. He becomes attached to them and gives them life experiences but can he give them there Christmas wish?
I thought this book had a great meaning but it wasn't that good. The book wasn't an addicting story, and the story wasn't well written. Also it seemed to change course throughout the story. It was a rocky book and the author didn't do a good job of keeping the story in one style. I wouldn't recommend this book even if it sounds intresting.
The Greatest Book Ever By Immanuel Gutierrez CCMS.......2005-10-05
I thought this book was great. Right from the start A gypsy tells Armand that he would have an adventure that day. That day he meet the Calcet family and his life was not the same. Even though he tried to guard his heart, the kids got through to him. It is a great book to read with your family because it offers hope and takes you though on an adventure through Paris, including Notre Dame Cathedral, and The Court of Miracles. Armand said "you should never give up hope," when the fisherman wound up the fishing pole and found the missing pair of his shoe. It it a great book for families that are homeless or having a hard time in life and for all ages.
A heartwarming story.......2005-05-04
Natalie Savage Carlson perfectly illustrates what it means to be a family in this heartwarming book. The book is set in Paris in the early 1900's. It explores the world of hoboes and homeless people, a topic which children usually have little experience with. Armand is a homeless man who lives a solitary life under a bridge over the Seine River. He faithfully avoids children, calling them starlings, and saying they will steal your heart if you aren't careful. One day he arrives back home under the bridge, only to find a group of starlings sleeping in his spot. He tries his best to keep them out of his heart, but they work their way in and call Armand their grandpa. The importance of family is the main theme of this book. Armand finds a family and in the end couldn't be happier about it.
Children will love this book. Homelessness isn't something that most children are very familiar with. This unique book will help children understand that even children their age can be homeless. Most homeless people are looked at as being lazy and worthless. This book will show children that some homeless people are just like them, but they are just down in their luck. This is a heartwarming book and deserves attention in the classroom.
Average customer rating:
- * VIVE LA ESME RAJI *
- Esme Raji Codell has done it again!
- Vive La Paris
- A 2007 Sydney Taylor Honor Award Winner for Older Readers
- "Ignorance is not a Defense" or Read This Book!
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Vive La Paris
Esme Raji Codell
Manufacturer: Hyperion
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0786851244
Release Date: 2006-09-26 |
Customer Reviews:
* VIVE LA ESME RAJI *.......2007-06-06
"VIVE . . . !" is a Salute to 5th grader Paris McCray who enjoys that 'only daughter status' in a black family with four older brothers. Paris is very 'with it' in her Chicago environment but has frequent altercations with a classmate who harasses her, & bullies her brother Michael. He is committed to non-violent responses & "the living is easy" - - NOT !
Challenges, school projects and a fascination with (italicized) words sum up Paris' top interests - - these aren't too different from my own interests when a very naive 5th grader at age 9. Don't most girls wear rose-colored glasses at some point during those pre-teen years? Paris has a new piano teacher who is a Holocaust survivor. Slowly their acquaintance grows into a respectful relationship which includes brother Michael who must endure being 'looked after'. As Paris learns more about Mrs. Rosen's adventures & suffering during WW II she reacts to the former member of the Resistance by wearing a yellow star.
I find this not surprising but a natural response of the generous-spirited girl. She didn't do it as a lark but in innocence, and encouraged her classmates to follow her example. Later, when 'punishment' was meted out, Paris AND her classmates were challenged to learn as much as possible about the victims of the Nazi regime. As Paris learns more about the crushing of Jews in Europe she & her classmates become aware of similarities to our own national history of mean-spirited segregation and racial atrocities. Perhaps I read something into this thought-provoking story that wasn't there but I found it a moving story and a book to own & share.
Esme Raji Codell is a stand-out author for middle-schoolers to 'track'. Was my ignorance at age 9 inexcusable? It wasn't until 9th grade when this reviewer was 13, that a classmate who summered in Europe (this was 1939) explained to me that war was imminent. The world 'out there' suddenly became relevant & I focused more on my college-age sibs. How much true empathy do 5th graders feel today toward those suffering in Afghanistan? Darfur? Iraq?
Yes, no one has to read each book in this series to find Sahara and Paris very special & individual personalities, and to happily anticipate a book about Luz. But I feel closer to the young Paris who had some experiences like my own: growing up with several sibs & the consequent stresses, reacting anxiously to injustices, trying to adjust when considered different in some way, and thinking everything should revolve around my desires & activities. HUMOR is a universal need and there is a healthy dollop of that, AND warmth and compassion. Don't miss searching for links to other writings of Esme Raji Codell and perhaps you'll discover her own valuable thoughts about that yellow star.
Esme Raji Codell has done it again!.......2007-04-19
Remember "Sahara Special?" Well, her mysterious library friend, Paris, now stars in her own novel! Paris is fun for children and adult readers alike, always trying her hardest to be polite, but admitting when she isn't, and always trying to use the exact right word, even if she isn't sure what it is. Paris narrates through her life at school, where she leads the Extreme Readers Club, and mimeographs weekly newsletters, at home, with her 4 older brothers all named after jazz musicians, and piano lessons with her unexpected mentor, Mrs. Rosen, who Paris eventually understands is a Holocaust survivor. Many poignant but subtle parallels between contemporary African American life and WWII Jewish European life are alluded to, which helps Paris to understand Mrs. Rosen, the world, and her philosophy on life. What a beautiful, strong novel, appropriate and accessible for kids. Ms. Codell has cemented her place in my heart!
Vive La Paris.......2007-03-14
Paris McCray is a fifth-grade African-American girl living in Chicago with her parents and four older brothers. She reluctantly attends piano lessons at the home of Mrs. Rosen, an elderly Holocaust survivor, and ends up coming away with more than just an appreciation for music. Their student-teacher relationship evolves into a special bond as Mrs. Rosen helps Paris apply the lessons of the Holocaust to her own life, giving her the tools to stand up to the class bully, and to accept her brother Michael's individuality and unique spirit. With plenty of charm and spunk, and an overdoes of urban attitude, Codell creates a warm, touching, and humorous story of one girl's journey to finding a balance between wearing rose-colored glasses and facing the world with eyes wide open. While billed as a companion novel to Sahara Special (Sahara appears as one of Paris's classmates), the books stands strongly on its own.
For ages 9-12.
Reviewed by Rachel Kamin
A 2007 Sydney Taylor Honor Award Winner for Older Readers.......2007-01-28
Paris McCray is a fifth-grade African-American girl living in Chicago with her parents and four older brothers. She reluctantly attends piano lessons at the home of Mrs. Rosen, an elderly Holocaust survivor, and ends up coming away with more than just an appreciation for music. Their student-teacher relationship evolves into a special bond as Mrs. Rosen helps Paris apply the lessons of the Holocaust to her own life, giving her the tools to stand up to the class bully, and to accept her brother Michael's individuality and unique spirit. With plenty of charm and spunk, and an overdoes of urban attitude, Codell creates a warm, touching, and humorous story of one girl's journey to finding a balance between wearing rose-colored glasses and facing the world with eyes wide open. While billed as a companion novel to Sahara Special (Sahara appears as one of Paris's classmates), the books stands strong on its own.
"Ignorance is not a Defense" or Read This Book!.......2006-11-09
Esmé Raji Codell's "Vive la Paris" is a book that sneaks up on you. What I mean by this is that "Vive la Paris" reads likes a nice, polite, upper Middle Grade novel until two-thirds of way through and then: slam! An unexpected philosophical point--one kids will understand through the protagonist's behavior and its aftermath--takes "Vive la Paris" in surprising directions.
Paris McCray is one busy fifth grader. She heads up a reading program at her school, complete with mimeographed newsletters. She has lots of friends and four older brothers. Music is an important part of her family's life and she takes up piano, studying with an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Rosen. And, of course, Paris has an enemy. Another fifth grader, Tanaeja, likes to beat up Paris' older brother, Michael, which is embarrassing to say the least.
Michael is a charming kid who prefers baking to sports. He's charged with accompanying Paris to her piano lessons and before long he's singing to her music. Both children become close to Mrs. Rosen, a lonely Holocaust survivor who really takes to her young students. When she learns Paris knows nothing, and I mean nothing, of the Holocaust, she feels inspired to show Paris her tattoo and share with her artifacts from her history, including the yellow star.
This is where the novel takes a turn I found so surprising and really new. Paris is a strong narrator. As the youngest child with four older brothers, she's a smart, tough, popular girl. She knows what she wants and says just about anything without fear of retribution. So, when she shows up to school wearing Mrs. Rosen's yellow star on her sleeve, other kids in her class mimeograph yellow stars. Then they write in the names of relatives who've died or the names of brothers serving in Iraq and pin those yellow stars on their clothing. Needless to say, Paris is finally, publicly, very, very wrong.
When she's called into the principal's office and her parents summoned, the principal tells her "ignorance is not a defense." When Paris doesn't understand what this means, Mom reads her the riot act:
"'Didn't you hear that teacher? There comes a time when ignorance is no longer an excuse. Ignorance is the fire that burns the cross. Your ignorance.' Mama whirled around. 'People died, Paris. People wore that star and died, the way people wore our skin and died.'"
I like to be surprised, and "Vive la Paris" surprised me. "Vive la Paris" is highly recommended for kids ages 9-14.
Book Description
"I'll Never Do to My Kids What My Parents Did To Me!" A Guide to Conscious Parenting teaches parents how to interrupt negative family relationship patterns, and raise kids with a healthy sense of self. It is not just a cognitive method. Parents learn how to regain their own calmness and presence when they are aroused or upset. Identifying somatic or body reactions is a crucial part of learning how to manage reactions especially anger and frustration. We offer a wholistic system of parent education which teaches child development theory at the same time as teaching skill building. Socialize kids without breaking their spirit.
Customer Reviews:
Essential Reading.......2002-08-24
I'm a parenting facilitator and I think this book is an absolute must for all parents. In fact they should be made to read it before they even decide to have kids.
The writers obviously have a deep understanding of themselves and their relationships.
It really explains how we interfere with the process of our children's natural intelligence with our unresolved childhood pain.
It's not particularly theoretical and deals with self-evident facts and feelings in any given situation.
Amazon.com
In 1995 Gopnik was offered the plush assignment of writing the "Paris Journals" for the New Yorker. He spent five years in Paris with his wife, Martha, and son, Luke, writing dispatches now collected here along with previously unpublished journal entries. A self-described "comic-sentimental essayist," Gopnik chose the romance of Paris in its particulars as his subject. Gopnik falls in unabashed love with what he calls Paris's commonplace civilization--the cafés, the little shops, the ancient carousel in the park, and the small, intricate experiences that happen in such settings. But Paris can also be a difficult city to love, particularly its pompous and abstract official culture with its parallel paper universe. The tension between these two sides of Paris and the country's general brooding over the decline of French dominance in the face of globalization (haute couture, cooking, and sex, as well as the economy, are running deficits) form the subtexts for these finely wrought and witty essays. With his emphasis on the micro in the macro, Gopnik describes trying to get a Thanksgiving turkey delivered during a general strike and his struggle to find an apartment during a government scandal over favoritism in housing allocations. The essays alternate between reports of national and local events and accounts of expatriate family life, with an emphasis on "the trinity of late-century bourgeois obsessions: children and cooking and spectator sports, including the spectator sport of shopping." Gopnik describes some truly delicious moments, from the rites of Parisian haute couture, to the "occupation" of a local brasserie in protest of its purchase by a restaurant tycoon, to the birth of his daughter with the aid of a doctor in black jeans and a black silk shirt, open at the front. Gopnik makes terrific use of his status as an observer on the fringes of fashionable society to draw some deft comparisons between Paris and New York ("It is as if all American appliances dreamed of being cars while all French appliances dreamed of being telephones") and do some incisive philosophizing on the nature of both. This is masterful reportage with a winning infusion of intelligence, intimacy, and charm. --Lesley Reed
Book Description
Paris. The name alone conjures images of chestnut-lined boulevards, sidewalk cafés, breathtaking façades around every corner--in short, an exquisite romanticism that has captured the American imagination for as long as there have been Americans.
In 1995, Adam Gopnik, his wife, and their infant son left the familiar comforts and hassles of New York City for the urbane glamour of the City of Light. Gopnik is a longtime New Yorker writer, and the magazine has sent its writers to Paris for decades--but his was above all a personal pilgrimage to the place that had for so long been the undisputed capital of everything cultural and beautiful. It was also the opportunity to raise a child who would know what it was to romp in the Luxembourg Gardens, to enjoy a croque monsieur in a Left Bank café--a child (and perhaps a father, too) who would have a grasp of that Parisian sense of style we Americans find so elusive.
So, in the grand tradition of the American abroad, Gopnik walked the paths of the Tuileries, enjoyed philosophical discussions at his local bistro, wrote as violet twilight fell on the arrondissements. Of course, as readers of Gopnik's beloved and award-winning "Paris Journals" in The New Yorker know, there was also the matter of raising a child and carrying on with day-to-day, not-so-fabled life. Evenings with French intellectuals preceded middle-of-the-night baby feedings; afternoons were filled with trips to the Musée d'Orsay and pinball games; weekday leftovers were eaten while three-star chefs debated a "culinary crisis."
As Gopnik describes in this funny and tender book, the dual processes of navigating a foreign city and becoming a parent are not completely dissimilar journeys--both hold new routines, new languages, a new set of rules by which everyday life is lived. With singular wit and insight, Gopnik weaves the magical with the mundane in a wholly delightful, often hilarious look at what it was to be an American family man in Paris at the end of the twentieth century. "We went to Paris for a sentimental reeducation-I did anyway-even though the sentiments we were instructed in were not the ones we were expecting to learn, which I believe is why they call it an education."
Download Description
The comic-romantic adventures of an American family in Paris is penned by The New Yorker writer and author of the magazine's popular "Paris Journal" column. The private story is rooted in the sentimental re-education of a weary American through the experience of his son's childhood in France.
Customer Reviews:
"New Yorker" Writer Shares Family Life in Paris.......2007-09-16
This wonderful book is a collection of essays by Adam Gopnik, author of "Paris Journal" in "The New Yorker" magazine. He, his wife, and son Luke (a prominent figure in these tales of expat life in Paris) resided in Paris for five years as he penned his musings for the magazine. In this picturesque tale of Parisian life, Gopnik chronicles living as "an American in Paris," following in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and James Baldwin, revisiting their sites and discovering his own.
Gopnik chronicles the changing world as seen through one American's eyes. He addresses the global economy, the decline of French cuisine, and the effort to bolster a neighborhood cafe so that it would not become simply another victim of global homogenization. All of these topics, however, are tackled with a individualized view to telling the tale. Injecting his own experiences with French bureaucracy and society, Gopnik brings a fresh eye to the subjects at hand.
Yet what is most charming in the book are his personal stories of family life and the adjustment to bringing a new child into the world in a foreign country. This tender account of life with children makes the book a standout from other expatriate tales. You will love the stories of exploring Paris's parks and cafes with toddler in tow.
This charming tale of Parisian life was a bestseller and comes highly recommended from the "New York Times" Book Review Section. From me, too
Unoriginal, self-centered and dated.......2007-07-12
The book feels dated when you read it years after it was published, as it focuses too much on political issues that gripped France in the late 1990's. You're better off going back to a newspaper archive. Interestingly, there are brief mentions of terrorism that are treated off-hand as if it were a mosquito interferring with the author's sleep. Perhaps it illustrates how dismissive we all were of terrorism prior to 9/11.
The author also makes the mistake of equating Parisians with the French at large, but I think anyone who has travelled widely in France knows this is not the case. Little is of transcendence in Mr. Gopnik's account.
Another thing I could not stomach --perhaps because I am childless-- is the author's focus on his son, Luke Auden (I had to roll my eyes every time the full first & middle names came up -- ironically, the son prefers at one point to be plainly called "Luca"). In typical Upper West Side Liberal Yuppie Narcissist fashion, the author thinks the entire world is interested in learning about his son's development. Well, we're not, and these accounts are better suited to mass e-mails sent to the Gopnik family rather than a wide audience.
The writing also possesses a faux naivete that appears to be completely fabricated. I would have expected deeper analysis of certain issues and experiences, but the author floods page after page with inane detail.
I gave up reading this book 3/4 of the way. There are blogs by expatriates living in Paris that make far more interesting reading.
Smug, egotistical drivel.......2007-06-05
I bought this book because I'd read positive reviews of it. Gopnik immediately informs us of his stellar New Yorker connections, and no doubt some arms must have been twisted in book criticland. The personality which emerges from this collection is of someone who has floated up to his level without much evidence of sensitivity to or knowledge of his subject.
Politics in France.......2007-05-09
This collection of essays gives you a glimpse into the world of French politics as a journalist seeks to understand his countrymen.
Boring. Boring, boring, boring, BORING!!!.......2007-02-12
Growing up, I was (and still am) fortunate enough to spend my summers in Paris, visiting my grandparents, and other relatives living in France. So, as you can imagine, I absolutely love reading anything about France. After reading the reviews on here, I was extremely excited about picking up Paris to the Moon, and OH MY GOSH! Do not be fooled by these reviews! This novel is so pretentious, I had trouble getting through the first few chapters, and once I reached his discussion of the variety of different wall plugs that exist in this world (which went on for PAGES), I'd had enough! Anyone who believes themselves to be so self-important that they can pass off the discussion of different wall plugs as great writing, and believes that THIS is the drivel that keeps the readers turning the pages, needs a severe reality check.
If you want a lovely, interesting, and vivid account of French or Parisian life, stick with Peter Mayle, or check out "Almost French" by Sarah Turnbull, instead.
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