We came to Paris to find music (Daniel) and wisdom (Claire) and found each other instead. We fell in love, got married, and lived in the City of Lights for twenty years. We were charmed, inspired. Paris made us into the storytellers we are today. Together, we wrote A Whale in Paris to express our love for the city and its past. The books we recommend will make you feel how magical Paris and France truly are. Stories about unlikely friendships and fantastic adventures that shine a light in the deepest dark. Stories that celebrate life.
It’s war, 1944, and the Germans occupy Paris. One night, Chantal spies a small whale in the Seine River and opens her heart to the lost creature. She names him Franklin, after the American president who must be sending troops to rescue France. But Franklin is in danger: The starving Parisians would love to eat him, and the Nazis want to capture him as a gift to Hitler. In a desperate bid to liberate themselves and their city, Chantal and Franklin embark on a dangerous voyage. But can one girl return a whale to the ocean and reunite him with his parents? And will she ever see her own family again?
A Whale in Paris is historical fiction with hints of magic.
Hugo Cabret is not your average kid. He lives a secretive life alone in the wall of a Paris train station and is responsible for keeping the clock on time. One day, he meets an eccentric girl and an even more eccentric old man. With this unlikely trio, we go on a mystery hunt that involves a cryptic drawing, an automaton, a stolen key, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father. We picked this book because it’s so unique: a mesmerizing blend of graphics, fiction, and history. Although Hugo is an invented character, the old eccentric man is based on the real-life of Georges Méliès (1861–1938), a French film pioneer with a knack for magic. In The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Paris beguiles and mesmerizes.
Orphan, clock keeper, thief: Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. Combining elements of picture book, graphic novel, and film, Caldecott Honor artist Selznick breaks open the novel form to create an entirely new reading experience in this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
Can a baby survive in a cello case on the sea? Can a boy live above the streets, on the rooftops of Paris? Can a girl looking for her presumed-dead mother join him and his secret group? Yes, yes, and yes! We loved bold and rebellious Sophie, who dislikes wearing skirts. We loved her death-defying new friends. And we admired how the true meaning of family shines through in the unorthodox relationship between Sophie and her quirky adoptive father. Rooftoppers is a novel that celebrates the sky, but the sky is not the limit. A wonderfully written adventure tale: Paris seen from an entirely new angle.
Go on an adventure with Katherine Rundell...
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Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Blue Peter Book Award
Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal
From the winner of the Costa Children's Book Prize
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'I enjoyed it tremendously ... The next time I go to Paris I will be looking up at the rooftops' - Jacqueline Wilson
'A writer with an utterly distinctive voice and a wild imagination' - Philip Pullman
'Read everything she writes' - Daily Mail
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Everyone tells Sophie that she was orphaned in a shipwreck - found floating in a cello case on…
In 1242, three children cross medieval France to escape prejudice and persecution and to protect holy texts from being burned. Sounds too dark? No! The book is miraculously full of light and laughter, which is why we chose it. Terrible things happen—villages are torched, parents are murdered, horses drown in quicksand—yet The Inquisitor’s Tale reads like a celebration of love. We even get to meet a farting dragon!
A Newbery Honor Book Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award
An exciting and hilarious medieval adventure from the bestselling author of A Tale Dark and Grimm. Beautifully illustrated throughout by Hatem Aly!
A New York Times Bestseller A New York Times Editor's Choice A New York Times Notable Children's Book A People Magazine Kid Pick A Washington Post Best Children's Book A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book An Entertainment Weekly Best Middle Grade Book A Booklist Best Book A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book A Kirkus Reviews Best Book A Publishers Weekly Best Book A School Library Journal…
Imagine it’s 1958 and you live in Paris. Imagine your father dies and you lose your home and your mother has to work. Imagine you spend a day in the company of a grumpy old man walking all through the city. Imagine kindness and friendship doing their magic to keep everyone safe. Yes, The Family Under the Bridge is an old-fashioned book with a few shortcomings, but we recommend it nonetheless. This story celebrates Paris and all the generous and delightful people roaming its streets.
The heartwarming and memorable Newbery Honor-winning book about finding family in the unlikeliest places, featuring artwork by beloved illustrator Garth Williams. This classic middle grade novel is a welcome and meaningful read, especially at Christmastime.
Armand, an old man living on the streets of Paris, relishes his solitary life in the beautiful city. He is happy with his carefree existence, begging and doing odd jobs to keep himself warm and fed. With simple pleasures and no cares, what more could he need?
Then one day just before Christmas, Armand returns to his favorite spot beneath the bridge to find three…
Paris is a classic city, so a classic on this list is a must. The Hunchback of Notre Dame in its original version is 500+ pages and written for adults. This abbreviated yet spellbinding version is great for younger readers. Walk in 15th century Paris, meet Quasimodo, the gypsy girl Esmeralda, and get lost in a haunting drama.
Victor Hugo's great story of Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer of Notre Dame and his unrequited love for the dancer, Esmeralda. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colourful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes theme discussions and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom and at home to further engage the reader in the story.
Wendy Lee Hermance was heard on National Public Radio (NPR) stations with her Missouri Folklore series in the 1980s. She earned a journalism degree from Stephens College, served as Editor and Features Writer for Midwestern and Southern university and regional publications, then settled into writing real estate contracts. In 2012 she attended University of Sydney, earning a master’s degree by research thesis. Her books include Where I’m Going with this Poem, a memoir in poetry and prose. Weird Foods of Portugal: Adventures of an Expatmarks her return to feature writing as collections of narrative non-fiction stories.
Weird Foods of Portugal describes the author's first years trying to make sense of a strange new place and a home there for herself.
Witty, dreamlike, and at times jarring, the book sizzles with social commentary looking back at America and beautiful, finely drawn descriptions of Portugal and its people. Part dark-humor cautionary tale, part travel adventure, ultimately, Hermance's book of narrative non-fiction serves as affirmation for any who wish to make a similar move themselves.
"Wendy Lee Hermance describes Portugal´s colorful people and places - including taxi drivers and animals - with a poet´s empathy and dark humor. Part travel adventure, part cautionary tale, Weird Foods of Portugal is at it´s heart, affirmation for all who consider making such a move themselves."
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