Vive La Paris - Softcover

Esme Raji Codell is the author of the award-winning Sahara Special - companion title to Vive La Paris, published by Hodder in paperback in 2003. She has worked as a children's bookseller, teacher and school librarian and now runs a popular children's literature website www.planetesme.com and a literary salon, the Planet Esme Bookroom. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son and has both fiction and non-fiction titles published by Hyperion in the US.

Grade 4-6–In this companion to Codell's Sahara Special ( Hyperion, 2003), fifth-grader Paris McCray reveals what she has discovered about life in the process of taking piano lessons from Mrs. Rosen, a Holocaust survivor with a sense of humor. The girl's parents; her four older brothers; and the cast of characters from Miss Pointy's class, including best friends Sahara and Luz, keep the proceedings lively. Paris is an explorer of her universe, and words (often italicized) matter to her; her engaging narrative voice is noteworthy for its perseverance, charm, and wit. Her naïveté and, at times, ignorance cause her to make mistakes, but she begins to understand the choices of those around her. Youngest brother Michael's unwillingness to hit a bullying girl back; Mrs. Rosen's gift to her of a yellow star; and the ethical requirements of her own project, the Extreme Readers Club, ask much of Paris, but she is more than up to their challenges. Codell skillfully balances sadness with moments of laughter to keep readers hooked throughout. Touching and funny in equal measure, this short novel addresses innocence, guilt, and atonement and will have an intense impact on readers.–Carol A. Edwards, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, CO
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