Books That Take You There: France

One of my best friends is going to France this month.  I'm not bitter.  Honestly, I'm not.  I AM, however, very jealous.  I was first introduced to France when I chose French as my foreign language credit in junior high and into high school and where, with the best of intentions, I butchered that beautiful language on the daily.  When asked for the yearbook why I chose French, I was quoted as saying, "Because it's the language of love and I'm ready for love!"  Clearly I am destined to go there--for the love, to finally get good at French, and oh, did I mention the food?  For that, too!   Sadly, destiny won't find me there anytime soon.  For those of us who are staying home, here are a few fabulous books with French flair.  

The Last Musketeer
By Stuart Gibbs
Harper Collins, 2018. Fiction.

In Paris with his parents to sell family heirlooms, fourteen-year-old Greg Rich suddenly finds himself four hundred years in the past, and is aided by boys who will one day be known as "The Three Musketeers."

The Inquisitor's Tale
Written by Adam Gidwitz
Illustrated by Hatem Aly
‎Dutton Books for Young Reader, 2018. Fiction.

 

Crossing paths at an inn, thirteenth-century travelers impart the tales of a monastery oblate, a Jewish refugee, and a psychic peasant girl with a loyal greyhound, the three of whom join forces on a chase through France to escape persecution.

Catherine's War
Written by Julia Billet
Illustrated by Claire Fauvel
Harper Alley, 2020. Graphic novel.

As France buckles under the Nazi regime, budding photographer Rachel Cohen must change her name, go into hiding, and bear witness to the atrocities of World War II.

The Story of Diva and Flea

By Mo Willems

Disney-Hyperion, 2015. Intermediate. 

For as long as she could remember, Diva, a small but brave dog, lived at 11 avenue Le Play in Paris, France. For as long as he could remember, Flea, a curious and streetwise cat, also lived in Paris, France--but at no fixed address. When Flea flâneurs past Diva's courtyard one day, their lives are forever changed. Together, Diva and Flea explore and share their very different worlds, as only true friends can do.

Stubby the War Dog
By Ann Bausum
National Geographic Kids, 2018. Informational.

American soldier J. Robert Conroy befriended a stray dog with a stumpy tail while training to fight overseas in WWI. They bonded so closely that Conroy smuggled him to Europe, where Stubby accompanied Conroy's regiment on the Western Front, lending both his superior olfactory senses and amiable temperament to the war effort.

The Music of Life 

By Louis Thomas

Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2020. Picture Book.  

 

In Paris, Lenny has trouble starting to compose his symphony until he discovers that there is music all around him in everyday life.