A Coretta Scott King Honor Book
Grimes, Nikki. 2006. THE ROAD TO PARIS. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 9780399245374. Cover illustrated by Marikka Tamura.
This is a wonderful book to just set down and read from beginning to end. It is a beautifully told story of a young girl, Paris, and brother, Malcolm, trying to survive in the world of foster homes. Their mother is irresponsible in caring for her children, and so they end up in the foster system. Their latest home is the worst, where they are verbally, emotionally, and physically abused. They run away to their grandmother's, but she turns them back into the authorities. Up to this point, they have always managed to stay together, but now they are being split up, and Paris will have to survive whatever comes all by herself.
Paris is an 11 year-old bi-racial girl, living in a mostly white town, with only a very few blacks in her school and neighborhood. Her new home is with a black family with two parents, two brothers, and another foster girl. They all seem friendly and kind, but Paris is not willing to trust anyone at this point.
Her first friend at school is a white girl named Ashley, who thinks that Paris is pretty, unusual-looking, and has a fabulous name. Later Paris discovers how much she enjoys music and how happy it makes her feel. She joins the church choir, and is picked as a soloist. Things are progressing in a positive manner, but she misses her brother very much, and her mother is also making contact again, and wanting to visit with Paris. These are difficult situations for a young girl: being bi-racial in a white town, her only friend is white, her brother is in separate foster care, and her mother may want her to come back home at some point. Paris struggles with the idea of where and what HOME is exactly.
Nikki Grimes put a lot of herself and her experiences in this book, as she also spent time in foster homes, and she had an older sister that was her caretaker and protecter. Ms. Grimes makes this book feel real, because she had personal experiences to draw on.
This story could be about any child living in foster care. All of the feelings of not trusting, not feeling like you belong anywhere in particular, not being able to see family members that you love and care about, could be about any child in state care. Paris is also is bi-racial, and there are negative attitudes toward her for this. Her own father, "a white blue-eyed father abandoned her when she was four. Apparently, he couldn't handle being seen walking down the street with a child whose skin was so much darker than his own. He'd wince every time she called him Daddy in public" (Ch. 2, pg. 9).
Ashley was a good and loyal friend to Paris. There is a bit of a mystery about where Ashley's faher is, and Ashley explains his absences by saying that he is a salesman and travels a lot. Toward the end of book, Paris went over to Ashley's house and rang the doorbell. She heard a man's voice and realized that this must be Ashley's dad, and she is going to get to meet him. As she waited on the front porch, Ashley's mom answered the door, and whispered to her that this is not a good time. A man then yells, "What the hell is a little blond-headed nigger girl doing darkening the door of my house?" (Ch. 32, pg. 133). While reading this part, I think that I was as shocked and horrifed as Paris was at this moment. How can there be such ignorance and hatred toward a child standing on a front porch, regardless of who or what she is? It was a stunning passage to read and made me feel many emotions. This episode in the story ruined the friendship between Ashley and Paris. Perhaps Ashley knew all along how her father felt about people from other races and that is why she kept Paris away from her father through most of the story. But, Ashley couldn't bring herself to speak or even look at Paris through the rest of the book. It is extremely sad, and I felt bad reading about Ashely too, because she lost a wonderful friend and did not have the power to do anything about her situation.
Paris does the right thing and tells her foster mother what happened, and they cry and hug each other. Mrs. Lincoln, the foster parent, explains to Paris, "that's the way of the world, I'm afraid. There are hateful people in it, Paris, and some of them are white." Paris declares that she will never have another white friend, but Mrs. Lincoln counsels her by saying, "Don't say that. You can't go through life judging people by the color of their skin. Take each person as they come. Judge them by their actions. Then decide whether to hold them close or push them away. That's what you do" (Ch. 32, pg. 135). I loved this advice. This is true for everyone. This falls in beautifully with Martin Luther King's advice to judge people for the content of their character, not the color of their skin.
This is an easy read, but with a powerful message. The end of the book is not a perfect one, and I liked it as well. Life is not perfect. Not all problems are going to be solved. There is so much that can be discussed in this book. The characters are vivid, loveable, and rememorable. Paris's mother is not perfect by any means, and she does have issues, but she is trying to work through them. The foster family is not perfect either, but they appear to be trying hard to create a positive family atmosphere for their own children, and the foster kids that come through their door. The family photo album is a great symbol in this story of proving their efforts.
Paris is taught in this book that she is beautiful on the inside and out, and that she has worth. She is talented and loved, and this is a wonderful message for all young girls facing difficult problems in their lives.
I would love to offer this to students for independent reading, and then to strike up a casual conversation about what they like about the story. I would offer it to girls of all backgrounds. It will be interesting to hear their responses. If they like the story, I could suggest other similar books by African American authors, that have an authentic cultural feel to it in the development of the characters.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-7–For eight-year-old Paris Richmond, home was such a funny word. Because she and her older brother had moved from one foster home to another so often, it had come to mean not a place but a person. Malcolm was the one constant in her life. When they run away from an abusive home, they seek refuge with their grandmother, who returns them to the foster-care system. It is then that the siblings are placed in separate homes. Though Paris desperately misses Malcolm during her year with the Lincoln family, she gradually comes to trust them and even her own instincts. She gains coping skills through a newfound religious faith and the talent to share it through music. Her ability to keep God in her pocket allows her to overcome fears and difficulty. Her convictions allow her to endure inexcusable prejudice and malice as well as recognize the beauty and kindness around her. A poignant and plausible story, Paris is well crafted and simply but elegantly told. Even secondary characters are well drawn and recognizable as they grow, mature, and propel readers to a satisfying, hopeful, though not pat conclusion. Readers will pull for a successful life for Paris and Malcolm as they reunite with their mother and her new husband. They are also confident that Paris now knows what and where home really is.–Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at Washington DC Public Library
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