Customer Reviews

The Road to Paris

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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.

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

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.

Brother and sisterly love can't take away the hurt Paris is feeling when she rejoins her mother after years in foster care with and without her younger brother. They have a bond of steel. Paris feels that joining a family is not difficult, but you have to stay long enough to make fitting in work out. Adult realizations are the norm here for a girl of 10 years of age. This book took me time to get through from the beginning. It is not so hard to take in once there is a realization of the young girl's lost childhood and innocence, you just have to get past that part to finish. A very good reality check for teachers, librarians and anyone working with children in the foster care system.

Well done! Paris is a strong girl that goes through some very serious trials and tribulations in the course of this book. She escapes the horrid conditions of a previous foster home only to have the one thing she cares about most ripped from her by her grandmother - her own brother. After Paris is separated from her brother, she moves in with a family who has had foster children before. Paris learns to trust, love and find true happiness. Coretta Scott does an incredible job of entering the realm of an unhappy topic and teaches Paris how to find god and happiness even through the rough times. She uses beautifully descriptive language in her writing. My favorite passage was when she described the first snowfall Paris encountered. Beautifully written. She leaves us with an idea of Paris' future and although it is unclear - the reader feels secure that Paris has gained confidence and understanding that will get her through whatever is to come. A true piece of literature!

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.

I had to read this book for a college level course called "Literature in Childhood Education". I did not particularly think it was a great book, but I also know that it was not intended for somebody in my age group. For what it's worth, 'The Road to Paris' is a good children's book (4th-8th grade) that most will enjoy and can learn from.

The main character of the story is a young African American girl, who is actually mixed. But once the author discusses young Paris' background, the topic is only barely discussed later, of which I have mixed feelings. Paris is a young child placed in foster care, but who is a delightful child who fits in easily everywhere. The racial issue presents itself briefly in the story, often like in real life: sometimes you are confronted with these issues and sometimes you don't. And most of the time, Paris is just a young girl.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who reads children's literature because the main character and most of the supporting characters are African American but yet the story could be about any child. Most any child could relate to Paris' feelings of starting a new school or making friends or playing in the snow.

Transferring from foster home to foster home, Paris, an eight-year-old African American girl struggles to find a place to call her own. When her world is torn apart by her separation from her brother, Paris must learn how to take on the world by herself. Creating friendships, finding faith, and learning to trust and forgive are only a few journeys she encounters on her quest to happiness and stability. Incorporating prejudice, abuse, acceptance and the undying love of family, this book covers many diverse societal lessons. Readers sympathize with Paris as we learn about her experiences, her separation from her brother and her mother's attempts to provide a healthy home.

Nikki Grimes is a talented author who portrays the life of a foster child in a style that opens the eyes of readers to a way of living that may be overlooked. From page to page, it is still difficult to imagine an eight-year-old child experiencing abuse and watching the story unfold of her fear of each new foster family. No one deserves to live this way. This young girl is so strong throughout this book that it instills in readers the appreciation of the simple things in life that we may take for granted. This book is inspiring from cover to cover, and I would highly recommend this book for use in the classroom for discussions about diversity, family and acceptance.

Paris was eight years old when she was taken away from her mother to be taken care of in several different foster homes with her brother Malcom. Her white father couldn't appreciate Paris for her colored skin and Malcoms father left when he was baby. Their mother became an alcholic and was not able to take care of them. Paris and Malcom are split up and moved in seperate homes which is a struggle for Paris to deal with and finds her self in a pleasant and new kind of home. Paris struggles to answer what home really means and doesn't know what to do when her mother calls to claim her. This book is a great story line for young readers and is an easy read as well. It is a great use of multicultural literature.