Vive la Paris - Esme Raji Codell

Vive La Paris is a more than worthy sequel to the fabulous Sahara Special - beloved of the independent booksellers and critically acclaimed both in the UK and the US. Those who read SS will remember Paris as one of Sahara's fellow pupils in the glorious Miss Pointy's class. Miss Pointy and Sahara both make appearances in VLP, but this is all about Paris, competing for attention in a family of four boys and two jazz loving parents. It is when she and her brother are sent for private piano lessons at the eccentric, elderly Mrs Rosen's house, that Paris begins to understand a little more about the big picture - life outside her bustling family. For a start, it is clear that Mrs Rosen has more on her agenda than just piano lessons; there's free chopped liver sandwiches and French lessons as well as some good advice for life. Through Mrs Rosen, Paris learns that even bullies like Taneaja who is picking on her and Michael in and out of school, have reason for their behaviour. In Tanaeja's case it is because her own brother is dying that she feels so angry towards Sahara and her brother for being normal ... and alive. Paris learns not to judge, as well as to embrace all into her Extreme Readers Club - and of course that there is no such thing as plain good or bad in a person ...

Esme Raji Codell is the author of the award-winning Sahara Special - companion title to Vive La Paris, published by Hodder in paperback in 2003. She has worked as a children's bookseller, teacher and school librarian and now runs a popular children's literature website www.planetesme.com and a literary salon, the Planet Esme Bookroom. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son and has both fiction and non-fiction titles published by Hyperion in the US.