Vive La Paris by Esme Raji Codell

[martha]

This companion book to Sahara Special shares some of the same characters from Sahara's 5th grade class, including Sahara, Ms. Pointy, Luz, and Darrell. The main character is a black girl named Paris, who has 5 older brothers. Paris tries to be polite and do the right thing like God and Martin Luther King, Jr would want her to, but she gets upset when another girl in her class beats up her brother. Michael is 3 years older and refuses to fight back. Paris starts taking piano lessons from an elderly woman, Mrs. Rosen, who was a Holocaust suvivor and a member of the French Resistance. Paris sees the tatoo on Mrs. Rosen's arm and thinks the lady must be some kind of gang member. She has a rude awakening when she discovers what Mrs. Rosen's yellow star and tatoo really mean. As in Codell's earlier book, there is also plenty of humor, and the interaction between the old Jewish woman, Paris, and Michael is wonderful - especially the scene where they cook chicken soup and matzoh balls. Michael solves his bullying problem in his own way, and lots of life lessons are learned. This is a wonderful book and a strong Newbery contender, in my opinion.

[martha]

I can't believe nobody else has read this! Come on, people - this is my choice for Newbery!

[Meredith]

Vive La Paris is my choice for the Newbery. The tone makes the book. Paris is both witty and funny as well as a very smart girl. Mrs. Rosen sparkles, and Paris's youngest brother has astonishing depth.

Although the story are set in inner city Chicago, neither Paris nor the plot succumbs to any stereotypes although two of her brothers do want to be rappers. The Holocaust is dealt with in a way that doesn’t crush the story with grief. Allowing Paris to first interpret it through her own experience (like believing Mrs. Rosen’s boyfriend was “killed in a drive by” because her piano teacher explained that he was shot by the Nazis) prior to diving into the fact quoting history gives readers the opportunity to view the Holocaust as something more immediate than stories in which the topic is given starkly serious treatment.