SYNOPSIS

It is almost the end of junior high, and Jordan receives two pieces of great news on the same day – that he’s been accepted to his dream art school and that his school group’s trip destination is Paris.

A small team of students – some friends, others not so much – and two hastily summoned teachers venture into Paris’s landmarks, cuisine, culture and language.

They also get to learn about each other, teach each other valuable lessons, and practice “smelling the roses” in a memorable trip together.

PERFECT AGE 9 – 14

We love

• Seemingly insignificant moments (like a magnetic tag accidentally left on a purchased shirt) cleverly push readers to think about how one’s skin color may result in different experiences.
• Ramon is so courageous in addressing a classmate’s cruel behavior and affirming his identity and self-worth.
• It’s enjoyable to observe the girls’ different and unique personalities, as they get to know and respect each other for the first time over the course of the (short) trip.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

• Do you think the trip to Paris influenced Jordan’s decision whether to go to a new school or not? Why?
• Why did Ashley suddenly become so interested in befriending Alex, right before the trip?
• What do you think prompted Ramon to finally confront Andrew? What did you think of what Ramon said?
• Maury’s wealth could have caused many tensions with the other students. What do you think he did or didn’t do to avoid making things uncomfortable? How did you feel about Maury’s behavior?
• Do you know what Miss Brickner meant when she spoke about the banned books she found secretly? (Do you recognize any of them from the picture?)