The Road to Paris

Very engaging story about two siblings stuck in the foster home circuit. What I appreciate about this book is that Grimes doesn't avoid discussing sensitive topics, like racism, domestic violence, betrayal, and even the foster care system, but she doesn't make these points the focal point of her narrative. Grimes does a great job with discussing race naturally but realistically. She doesn't hide the fact that the characters are black, nor does she gloss over how their being seen and treated differently because of their race impacts and informs their friendships and feelings of social acceptance and safety.

This is a great novel, even for kids who may not be able to relate with the characters' family or racial experiences. While Grimes show more portrays the protagonist negotiating difficult issues, the story isn't about difficulty, per se. This is a story about a little girl who is learning survival alongside growing up, making friends, developing hobbies, and learning about the different forms 'family' can take. She learns about when it's okay to put up emotional boundaries and when it's okay to let people past them, she experiences loss as well as gain, and she finds healthy ways to reach within herself and find strength to carry on.

As with much of Grimes' work, there is an unmistakable religious undertone. She isn't heavy-handed with it, and a particular religious moral doesn't shape the story structure, but there are multiple references to 'God' (as in, the God of the Christian New Testament). Just something to be aware of... show less

Like a shorter, African-American One for the Murphys -- good story of a foster child who endures abandonment, abuse, separation from her brother, but finds a foster family that lifts her up. A lot of Christian religious feeling in the book, which didn't speak to me, but also a note in the back about a foster family the author was part of, so you can't get much more own voices than that.

Paris and her brother Malcolm run away from an abusive foster home situation but end up separated by child services. Paris ends up in Ossining, NY, with Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln and their three other foster children. Bruised by her previous foster experience and the instability of growing up with her birth mother, Paris is unsure of her place in the Lincoln home. But the Lincolns are loving, consistent and patient and over the course of the year, Paris develops an inner strength from their love and her participation in the church choir. When her birth mother wants her and Malcolm to live with her again, Paris has to make a tough decision.

The Road to Paris is a touching story of a girl who discovers the meaning of home after finding herself in the care of a foster family who accepts her as she is. Paris, a biracial girl who has been tossed from one mean foster family to the next, is separated from her brother Malcolm after they escape from an abusive home together. When Paris is sent to the Lincoln family, she is afraid of many things - including her new family, schoolmates, and the dark - but as the story progresses she learns to 'keep God in her pocket' and see the best in others. This book, a Coretta Scott King Award honor book, highlights the meaning of family, friendship, and forgiveness in a simply-written tale that is appropriate for middle readers. The back flap show more mentions that Grimes once lived in Ossining (like the Lincolns) with a wonderful foster family of her own, leading the reader to wonder how much of the story is autobiographical. Either way, one can be sure that Grimes's experiences have lent themselves to the authentic tone of this emotionally charged novel. show less

Paris and her brother landed in an abusive foster home after her mother could not take proper care of them. They ran away from the mean spirited woman who didn't want them except to work them. The social services took them apart and found homes for each of them.

Paris landed in a love-filled home where there was a lot of Christian teaching, and living. This family treated Paris well, though it seemed that she just could not trust anyone.

Later, Paris adjusts and makes friends in school. Now, however, Paris' mother tells social services she has her act together and wants her daughter and son. Paris has a heart-wrenching decision to make.

There were places in this book that didn't seem to jell with an abusive foster home. I believe there show more such places, but this seemed too dark with no light. Then, the opposite occurs, leaving the reader wondering how this child can ever transition. show less

This is a decent book for kids who want to read more about foster care, but I found it to be on the flat side. Paris is biracial. She's never known her white father. Her mother can't get her act together and chooses men over her kids. In the opening, Paris and her older brother Malcom are running away from an abusive foster family. They run to their grandmother, but she is unable to keep them and calls social services. She and Malcolm are separated for the first time and Paris is devastated. On the good side, Paris ends up with a new foster family who treats her like one of their own. For the first time in her life, she is happy. When her mom is ready for Paris and Malcolm to come home, Paris has a choice to make.

Paris and her brother run away from an abusive foster family. They arrive at their grandmother's house who calls for a caseworker who separates them. Paris goes to live with her new foster family, and she is timid at first but becomes very fond of them. She makes a new friend, and after their friendship ends, she makes another. In the end, Paris's mother calls her and tells her she has gotten her life together. After contemplation, Paris decides to move back in with her mother and brother. I think this would be a good book for children to read, so they can learn about what it's like to be a foster child. I enjoyed reading the book from Paris's point of view, and it was easy to feel the emotions she was feeling throughout the book.