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This month The Edge of the Forest reviews Middle Grade fiction
concerned with discrimination. In one novel (The Road to Paris), the protagonist is a biracial girl, facing
racism in contempoary American schools and communities. In another novel (Rickshaw Girl), the hero must
overcome sexism in contemporary Bangladesh in order to help support her family. Both novels are
inspiring and thought-provoking.
The Road to Paris
by Nikki Grimes
Reviewed by Andi, A Wrung Sponge
"In the world of Paris Richmond, normal was rare, and rich." With this we are introduced to eight-year-old Paris, a girl
living in foster care. She is biracial, with cocoa brown skin from her mother and blond hair from her dad. Her mother has
been divorced twice; from Paris's dad and from her older brother Malcolm's dad. Now she has lost custody of the two
children due to drinking and neglect. The children spend some time with an abusive foster family and run away. Their
grandmother calls social services again, and they are sent to new placements. Up to this point Malcolm has been the bedrock
of Paris's life, and she mourns his loss deeply when they are separated. Malcolm, whom the social workers have deemed
"incorrigible," is sent to a group home.
Paris is sent to a suburb of New York to live with one of the few black families in the town. They have two boys of their
own and a teenage girl who is also a foster child. They are kind and friendly to Paris, giving her just what she needs. She
starts school and makes a friend. She goes to church and discovers the joy of singing in the choir, and begins to discover
faith that God is with her, caring for her. Her older foster brother explains to her that when she is afraid of the dark at
night she can imagine she has "God in her pocket" and thereby gain some comfort.
Unfortunately she is soon crushed by the hateful racism of her friend Ashley's father, who calls her the "n" word and sends
her away from their door. Ashley and her mother fail to speak up for her, and the hate hits her full force. The way her
foster mother comforts her is one of the gems of this book. Mrs. Lincoln pulls her into her arms when she hears what
happened.
"I'm sorry you had to hear such words," she said. "But that's the way of the world,
I'm afraid. There are hateful people in it, Paris, and some of them are white."
"I'll never have another white friend," Paris vowed.
"Don't say that," said Mrs. Lincoln. "You can't go through life judging people by the
color of their skin."
"But that's what Ashley's father did!"
"Yes, honey. And he was wrong."
Paris couldn't argue with that. "Then what am I supposed to do?"
"Take each person as they come," said Mrs. Lincoln. "Judge them by their actions.
Then decide whether to hold them close or push them away. That's what you do."
Paris listened carefully to Mrs. Lincoln's words. She tucked them away for further
consideration, and rested her head on the woman's chest."
This is such a good example for us of how love and compassion face off against racism and hatred. Later in the book a new
white girl in the class approaches Paris to make friends with her. At first Paris is stand-offish, not wanting to take the
chance of being hurt again. After a while she finds the courage to respond and she is rewarded with a blossoming friendship
that is warm and affirming.
At the end of the book Paris's mother Viola remarries and asks Paris to come home. Paris has the weekend to think it over.
I don't want to tell you what she decides, because I think one of the strengths of the book is the portrayal of the
ambiguity Paris feels toward her mother. She must decide if her home is with the Lincolns or with Viola. The book ends on
a hopeful note but leaves many questions hanging in the air. Readers can take up those threads and engage in thoughtful
discussion.
Rickshaw Girl
by Mitali Perkins. Illustrations by Jamie Hogan
Reviewed by Kelly Herold, Big A little a
Mitali Perkins' Rickshaw Girl is set in contemporary Bangladesh. Naima, the young heroine of Rickshaw Girl, lives with
her parents and younger sister, Rashida:
"Most of the homes in the village looked the same, with smooth clay walls, thatched roofs, dirt
paths, and large stone thresholds. They only looked different on holidays, when girls decorated
their family's paths and thresholds with painted patterns called alpanas, just as their
ancestors had done for generations. In Naima's village, on International Mother Language Day,
when the whole country celebrated the beauty of their Bangla language, the leaders gave a prize
to the girl who painted the best alpanas."
Naima just happens to be the best alpana painter in her village. But, while planning this year's design, her parents'
financial worries upset her plans. Her father recently purchased a brand new rickshaw, complete with gorgeous, unique
decorations, and he has to work night and day to pay it off. And, as the father of two girls, he has no child who can help
him in his taxi business. Naima witnesses how her best friend Saleem (with whom she can only meet in secret, now that she
and her friend are growing older) can help his father by driving the rickshaw while his father rests.
So, Naima comes up with a plan: To dress like a boy and drive her father's rickshaw. Unfortunately, she crashes and damages
her father's beautiful new machine.
Naima is despondent and feels horrible that not only can she not help her family, but that she's actually hurt them. Her
mother may have to sell one of her precious, gold bracelets, inherited from her grandmother, to pay for the rickshaw
repairs and for Rashida's school fees.
Naima's life comes back together when she realizes she can use her talent as an artist to help her family and herself. She
heads off to the new rickshaw repair shop, dressed as a boy, and offers herself as an apprentice. She's shocked to discover
the new repairman is actually a woman, who opened her shop with money from a women's bank. When Naima reveals she is also
female, the repairwoman agrees to take her on.
Rickshaw Girl is not only timely, with the 2006 Nobel Peace prize going to Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh for his work with
microloans in local communities, it's also a universal tale about a girl trying to prove her worth and equality to herself,
her family and her community. When the repairwoman tells Naima, "things are changing whether people around here like it or
not," it's a source of revelation for Naima and the reader.
Books Reviewed:
The Road to Paris, by Nikki Grimes. Putnam Juvenile, 2006. ISBN: 0-3992-4537-5.
Richshaw Girl, by Mitali Perkins. Illustrations by Jamie Hogan. Charlesbridge Publishing, 2006.
ISBN: 1-5808-9308-2.
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