Paris for Two

March 14, 2016
This confection of a story about scrappy 12-year-old Petunia "Pet" Beanly and her family while on sabbatical in Paris delivers a satisfying look at sibling rivalry and discovering true talents. Initially, Pet imagines writing a book on being a younger sister, peppered with advice culled from her experiences with her glamorous, much adored sibling, Ava. Pet also designs dresses, something her sister and mother criticize, but when she finds a mysterious doll dress in an armoireâone with connections to the elderly concierge in her building and a French familyâPet's sewing and design talents blossom. Drama ensues as Pet steals a letter from Ava's love interest, enters a fashion design contest, endures the aftermath of her first crush, and befriends the concierge. Stone (The Romeo and Juliet Code) builds believable betrayal and resolution between the two sisters, though Pet's complex relationship with her mother, who struggles with depression and favors Ava, is too tidily resolved. Regardless, readers will be charmed by Pet as she bonds with Ava and embraces her own strengths. Ages 8â12.

February 15, 2016
During her father's one-year sabbatical, 12-year-old Petunia Beanly moves to Paris with her parents and beautiful older sister. Atmospheric and charming, Stone's intricately designed novel tells three interlocking tales: Petunia in present-day Paris; what happened between Petunia and her crush, Windel, in the near past; and the story of the building concierge and her grandmother that takes place during the Nazi occupation of France. (All the major characters are white.) This skillful interweaving, nicely knotted together by a hidden doll's dress, creates a tremendous narrative drive, and readers will be whipping the pages to find out what happened. Petunia, who's funny (sometimes inadvertently), feels like a real 12-year-old, and she turns out to be a generous and keen-eyed storyteller, peppering her narration with the agonies of little-sisterhood and the perfectly observed odd detail. The heart of the story is the relationship between Petunia and her 14-year-old sister, Ava, and it's completely credible, clearly set up and believably resolved in a way that feels heartfelt and true. Not so the relationship between Petunia and her thoughtless mother. It too is well-established but then works itself out in an unbelievable eye-blink, which may leave readers befuddled. Although annoying, it's still a minor flaw in an otherwise delightful novel. A poetically told story with a fairy-tale feel. (Fiction. 10-14)

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March 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-The relationship between 12-year-old Petunia and her older stepsister is mean-spirited and filled with friction. Their family of four has moved to Paris during Petunia's father's sabbatical year, and each member of the family is coping with a new environment with varying degrees of success. The mother shows a clear preference for her biological daughter over her younger stepdaughter, even when the elder girl demonstrates poor behavior in her presence. Stone includes cultural markers and French words to create a Parisian ambience, but there are, unfortunately, also tired stereotypes of beret-wearing French people and rude waiters. The novel presents a glimpse of a dysfunctional family with sibling rivalry and parents who are either uninterested in or distanced from their children's behavior. The snide comments between the sisters may seem hurtful to sensitive readers, but those who struggle with challenging sibling relationships may be relieved to see this common familial friction depicted on the page. This contemporary, realistic fiction novel has an inviting, page-turning pace. VERDICT Issues of sibling fighting and the challenges of creating a harmonious blended family are set against a Hollywood-esque Parisian background.-Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego

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