The Paris Project by Donna Gephart (review)

Seventh-grader Cleveland Rosebud Potts has dreamed of moving to Paris, France since her mother read her the Madeline books, but it's a long way to travel from the trailer park in Sassafras, Florida. A checklist of preparatory French cultural activities and a bold plan to get a full scholarship to the American School of Paris help Cleveland work towards her dream, but then Cleveland's dad goes to jail after stealing to feed his gambling addiction (and cleaning out Cleveland's hard-earned savings). Cleveland doggedly dives back into her Paris Project and slowly learns not to hold people responsible for the actions of others, because she realizes she doesn't want to be judged by others for her father's mistakes. A dose of self-deprecating humor and a dash of French exclamations invite readers to laugh in spite of Cleveland's hardships, and Gephart surrounds Cleveland with a supportive family and a sweet, cooking-obsessed best friend, Declan. Cleveland doesn't get to Paris, but a trip funded by her older sister to a French-themed hotel satisfyingly caps off this upbeat story about generosity, forgiveness, and love. Back matter includes a list of translations for French words used in the book, a recipe for Declan's limeade spritzer, brief statistics about parental incarceration in the United States, and the Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights.