Growing up, I recall hearing stories from my godmother who would travel to Paris most summers when she was a teenager. I learned about the food, the shopping, and of course, the famous Eiffel Tower. From these stories, I knew that I had to travel to France one way or another. I took French in high school and was even a member of the Crepe Club. But unfortunately, the language was not popular in my high school and so an opportunity for the department to take the classes to France ceased to exist.
Finally, three years later, I studied abroad for a semester in London and the first trip I booked was to Paris. After my magical weekend there, I couldn’t wait to visit more French hot spots. I then traveled onto the South of France, visiting Cannes, Nice, and Aix-en-Provence. I fell in love with each town and the French culture even more. This Bastille Day, while I may be in New York, my heart and mind will be in Paris with these great French-themed reads.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
By Brian Selznick (Ages 8 – 12)
Caldecott Honor artist Brian Selznick uses words and pictures to create an intriguing mystery adventure which begins—wordlessly—drawing the reader in like a movie camera. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a story set in 1930s Paris about a boy named Hugo—an orphan, clock keeper, and thief—who lives in the walls of a busy train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks—like the gears of the clocks he keeps—with an eccentric, bookish girl, and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the train station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate and tender mystery. Selznick seamlessly weaves the story from narrative to picture to extraordinary effect.
A Spark Unseen
By Sharon Cameron (Ages 12 And Up)
A Spark Unseenis the thrilling sequel to The Dark Unwinding, Sharon Cameron’s gothic steampunk romance, and will captivate readers anew with even more mystery and intrigue. When Katharine Tulman wakes in the middle of the night and accidentally foils a kidnapping attempt on her beloved uncle, she realizes that he and his genius inventions are no longer safe. She flees to Paris, where she hopes to remain undetected and also find the mysterious and handsome Lane, who is suspected to be dead. But the search for Lane is not easy, and Katharine finds herself embroiled in a maze of political intrigue. With unexpected enemies and allies at every turn, Katharine will have to figure out if she can trust anyone to protect her uncle from danger once and for all.
Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles, Austria-France 1796
By Kathryn Lasky (Ages 8 – 12)
Newbery Honor author Kathryn Lasky takes you back to 1796 during the time of Marie Antoinette. To forge an incredibly powerful political alliance, thirteen-year-old Marie Antoinette of Austria is betrothed to Dauphin Louis Auguste, who will one day be the king of France. To prepare her for this awesome responsibility, she must be trained to write, read, speak French, dress, act...even breathe. Things become more difficult for her when she is separated from her family and sent to the court of Versailles to meet her future husband. Opinionated and headstrong Marie Antoinette must find a way to fit in at the royal court and get along with her fiancé. The future of Austria and France falls upon her shoulders. But as she lives a luxurious life inside the palace gates, out on the streets the people of France face hunger and poverty. Through the pages of her diary, Marie captures the isolation, the lavish parties and gowns, her struggle to find her place, and the years leading up to her ascendance of the throne...and a revolution.
What are some of your favorite Parisian books?
