The Paris Project

by Donna Gephart

Fans of the Nate series by Tim Federle and The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm will love Cleveland Rosebud Potts in this poignant and heartfelt novel from the award-winning author of Lily and Dunkin.

Cleveland Rosebud Potts has a plan. If she can check off the six items on her très important Paris Project List she will make it out of the small-minded and scorching town of Sassafras, Florida, to a rich and cultured life at The American School of Paris.

Unfortunately, everything seems to conspire against Cleveland reaching her goal.

Cleveland is ashamed of her father and angry that her mother and sister are never around because they have to work extra shifts to help out the family. Her Eiffel Tower tin has zero funds. And to top it all off, Cleveland’s best friend Jenna Finch has decided she’s too fancy for her and her neighbor Declan seems to be hiding something.

As Cleveland puts her talents to the test, she must learn how to forgive family for their faults, appreciate friends for exactly who they are, and bloom where she’s planted—even if that’s in a tiny town in central Florida that doesn’t even have a French restaurant. C’èst la vie!

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary, Friendship

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 8, 2019

Reviews

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleveland Rosebud Potts a 7th grader has a goal to get out of her little town of 1200 people and her trailer home to go to an American school in Paris. She is working very hard earning money through her dog walking business. She sets out to accomplish 6 things on her checklist such as attending a ballet class, learning to cook and eat at a French restaurant, experience French art culture, learn to speak French through borrowed CDs from the library, go to an American School in Paris for 8th grade.

I enjoyed reading this book very much for the subject matter; a young girl dreaming for something and really working hard to get things done, This resonated with me - remembering my own experiences at that age, and making a checklist of accomplishing a goal no matter how lofty or impossible it might seem, the checklist will make it happen. Cleveland's experiences are hilarious and we don't get everything we want in life, but certainly motivation and hard work shows we can get closer to our goals.

The book also addresses a tough issue of a struggling family when someone is dealing with addiction issues, in this case gambling. Addiction is an issue many young children experience and this book certainly explores those issues sensitively, and how it affects every person in the family. I thought that it was written with a lot of care and love that will help some young people about their own struggles, and inspire them to stay positive. This is an excellent book to recommend to some of our young readers needing some inspiration and hope,

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest and objective review.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since she was first learned of the city, while reading Madeline as a child, Cleveland dreamed of attending the American School in Paris. She hatched a plan, called the Paris Project, and saved every penny she made in an effort to achieve her dream. However, Cleveland had to worry about the future of her Parisian plans, once her father was incarcerated and she became the town outcast.

• Pro: Cleveland was absolutely wonderful! Guard your heart, because this little girl is going to steal it. I loved her enthusiasm for all things Parisian. The way she was trying to learn the language, about the food, and about the culture was admirable, but she also was willing to work really hard to make her dream come to fruition. She was moving and shaking and walking dogs in order to earn the money to finance her Parisian education. I also found her plucky and charming, and thought she had one of the biggest hearts around.

• Pro: Things were tough for the Potts family after dad was incarcerated, but these ladies didn’t let it take their spirit or their pride. They dug in, worked harder, and let their love provide the strength they needed to keep going.

• Pro: Gephart did such a beautiful job with Cleveland’s feelings regarding her father’s transgressions and gambling addictions. The battle she fought with herself over being angry, disappointed, and ashamed, while still loving and missing her father came across as very genuine, and my heart ached for her. The ideas of suffering for the sins of her father and forgiveness was well utilized, and provided some standout moments in this story.

• Pro: Though there were five years separating Cleveland and her sister, Georgia, they shared a phenomenal sisterly bond. Their love, affection, and dedication to each other brought happy tears to my eyes, and seeing them support each other just about made my heart explode.

• Pro: When everyone else abandoned her, Declan, her best friend, stood by her side. He shared many wonderful and tough moments with Cleveland, and also fully support her goal to live in Paris. I thought both him and his father were a fantastic part of Cleveland’s circle, and though Cleve and Dec went through a rough patch, they without exception, fully accepted and cared for each other.

• Pro: That ending made me mush. The family was experiencing more and more difficulties, and just when it seemed as though none of the Potts would succeed, things took a turn for the better. Yes there was some sacrifice a la the fisherman and his wife, but it was such a beautiful and touching sacrifice they were willing to make for each other.

Overall:
A story of hope, healing, forgiveness, and family, which warmed my heart.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleveland Rosebud Potts a 7th grader has a goal to get out of her little town of 1200 people and her trailer home to go to an American school in Paris. She is working very hard earning money through her dog walking business. She sets out to accomplish 6 things on her checklist such as attending a ballet class, learning to cook and eat at a French restaurant, experience French art culture, learn to speak French through borrowed CDs from the library, go to an American School in Paris for 8th grade.

I enjoyed reading this book very much for the subject matter; a young girl dreaming for something and really working hard to get things done, This resonated with me - remembering my own experiences at that age, and making a checklist of accomplishing a goal no matter how lofty or impossible it might seem, the checklist will make it happen. Cleveland's experiences are hilarious and we don't get everything we want in life, but certainly motivation and hard work shows we can get closer to our goals.

The book also addresses a tough issue of a struggling family when someone is dealing with addiction issues, in this case gambling. Addiction is an issue many young children experience and this book certainly explores those issues sensitively, and how it affects every person in the family. I thought that it was written with a lot of care and love that will help some young people about their own struggles, and inspire them to stay positive. This is an excellent book to recommend to some of our young readers needing some inspiration and hope,

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest and objective review.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleveland Rosebud Potts has a plan. If she can get at least one thing off her Paris Project List, she can ditch her town of scorching hot Sassafras Florida, for the American School Of Paris but it won’t be easy her best friend, Jenna Finch, decides she’s too fancy for her and her best friend Declan, is hiding something and her father has been sent to jail for stealing money from his boss, Mr Baker I loved Cleveland and her can-do spirit and the importance of not giving up this book deals with addiction, in this case, gambling almost every family has been through this it’s not okay to be judged in any way, children who have a parent in jail face this way worse than most children. don’t know the signs don’t judge if you don’t know what happened in the first place and the representation to the LGBTQ community through Cleveland’s best friend Declan? Gold.

[Savannah Hendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this middle grade book. The author touched a an important topic, often not mention in MG books (two topics actually) gambling and prison. Of course it had funny moments and I loved how the family might have been falling apart, or at least it appeared that way, when really it was everything working out as it should.

[Jill Nadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book! Young readers will fall in love with Cleveland Rosebud Potts as she works to make her dream of traveling to Paris a reality. With humor and heart, Donna Gephart has created a world filled with people I grew to care about deeply. The Paris Project explores important issues (incarceration of a parent, gambling addiction…how to make the perfect lime spritzer) in a sensitive way that’s completely accessible to kids. Ultimately, this is a book about friendship, family, dreams, goals, forgiveness, and trust, but most of all, it’s a wonderful story about a character readers will cheer for from beginning to end. I highly recommend it.

[Jessica (ThatDamFangirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

#TNG2023ReadingChallange

My Physical TBR Book #8

I've been obsessed with Paris forever so I definetly related to this book!

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleveland Rosebud Potts wants to leave her insipid town of Sassafras, Florida for the bright lights of Paris, France. She's just in seventh grade but she knows what she wants and what she doesn't want. And what she doesn't want is to stay in a small town where she is shunned and shamed because her father stole from his employer and was put in jail, where her mother has to work extra to pay for the costs of getting a lawyer, where her older sister works hard to put back money into a college fund to try to go to her dream college next year, where her friend is bullied for being gay. Cleveland has put together a list of things to do to enable her to go to the American School in Paris, and she's already started working on these things. She knows if she can just accomplish them she will get out of this place.

I don't see that many stories about working-class people for children, and this is one of the best I've read. Cleveland's dad is in jail, and that is an experience a lot of children have. The book explores the feelings of children who have a parent in jail and the situation is resolved in a realistic and hopeful way. The hard work of the family is rewarded and the love the family members have for each other is apparent.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will definitely recommend this title to sixth graders. The plucky protagonist from Florida made me think of Kate DiCamillo’s books. Gephart wrote about having an incarcerated parent with lots of details and sensitivity.

[Jade Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really cute book. While reading it I felt like I was 12 again and reading a favourite!

[Leah Pileggi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific summer read for tweens!

[Jennifer Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has it all... a dad that's incarcerated, a friend that is gay, a sister that wants to go to college in another state, a mom that has to work to support them all, and losing a best friend. Cleveland Rosebud Potts is a 7th grade student who is having to deal with all the above. She has a list she is checking off of how she will be able to attend school in Paris. She is saving her money that she earns walking dogs and checking off her list of "to-do's" in order to be prepared. Through it all she learns how to forgive her friend for choosing an "enemy" for a friend and her dad for being in prison, how to make new friends and be positive through it all.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seventh-grader Cleveland Rosebud Potts has her future planned out. She is going to do everything she needs to get away from boring Sassafras, Florida, and move to Paris for eighth grade. She has been saving money from her dog-walking business and learning French from CDs borrowed from the library. As part of her Paris Project, she still needs to learn to cook a French meal, eat in a French restaurant, view French Impressionist paintings, and be accepted and earn a full scholarship to attend the American School of Paris. She has been wearing the beret her father gave her daily as inspiration.

However, many roadblocks have occurred on her way. Her father is a gambler, betting on dog races, and stole not only from his boss which has earned him a 7-month jail sentence, but took all of Cleveland’s savings, and as the daughter of a criminal, most of her clients have fired her. Her mother cleans houses to try to keep ahead of the bills, and her older sister Georgia works many jobs saving for her dream, to attend the University of Vermont the following year. When she video visits her father in prison, she has ambivalent feelings—she misses the funny father she loves but is furious with his actions and their effect on the family. Because of her father’s crime, the other girls at school ignore or laugh at her and she sits alone at lunch; in fact, people in town are wary of the whole family. “Life got divided into ‘before’ and ‘after’ that awful day when Dad was arrested for stealing money from Mr. Ronnie Baker.” (64)

Cleveland is not only determined and focused, she is spunky—she doesn’t complain the she only has a few outfits, her sneakers have holes, and her stomach frequently rumbles from hunger. And she does have one true friend—an eighth grader who also lives in the trailer park and is working on becoming a chef like the mother who left him and his father. Declan teaches her to cook French food, helping her to check that off her Paris Project list. However, when he becomes friends, and maybe more, with her father’s former boss’ (the man who put her father in jail) son, Cleveland has to decide how to act. “'Do you like Todd?… I mean do you ‘like’ him?” “Yes.” I understood that the words I said next mattered. A lot. I took a slow breath and gathered my thoughts. “That’s really great, Declan.” (162-3)

One friend decides to leave the pack of mean girls, Declan and Todd stop at Cleveland’s locker with hugs and high fives, and “When it came to sisters, [she’d] hit the lottery,” (178) and together her support system, along with her strong mother, help Cleveland navigate life after and “after that” when her dad is released from prison. The preparing for the Paris Project ends up taking on a whole new meaning as Cleveland sets new goals.

[Eliza ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is on The Paris Project by Donna Gephart.
All Cleveland Rosebud Potts wants is to get out of her rundown hometown of Sassafras, Florida and go to Paris, France. She has a plan for how to do that, but it seems that everything in her world is conspiring against her. Her father, who struggles with a gambling addiction, has been imprisoned for stealing money from his boss, and that makes everything harder. Cleveland, her mom, and her older sister, Georgia, all miss him terribly, and yet Cleveland is also angry at him for taking the money she had saved for her Paris Project before he left. Her former best friend, Jenna Finch, moved to the richer part of town and has been a snob to Cleveland ever since, and the situation with Cleveland's dad certainly didn't improve things. And Declan, future chef and Cleveland's best friend, is hanging out with Todd Baker - the son of the man who reported Cleveland's dad to the police. But maybe with her best friend and her supportive older sister by her side, Cleveland can end up exactly where she belongs.
This book handled a really difficult topic (parental incarceration) in a really honest (I think, I've never experienced it myself) way, sprinkled with humor that made it lighter and more upbeat. Cleveland is a spunky and original main character, and I loved the supporting cast just as much if not more than the protagonist in this book. Declan was so adorkable (and I love the queer representation!), and Georgia is the best sister ever. (Come to think of it, a lot of Donna Gephart's books have great sibling relationships: Abby and Paul in Abby, Tried and True, Miles and Mercedes in In Your Shoes, and of course, Lily and Sarah in Lily and Dunkin.) Cleveland's parents are great characters, too. Her mom is a hardworking, loving woman, and her dad is a great guy with an awful problem. I love that he was shown as more than just a convicted criminal, more than just a gambler. And my favorite thing about this book is that it made me think a lot about how I would treat someone with an incarcerated family member. I hate to say it, but I probably would have been polite but steered clear of them, at least before reading this book. Now I see how much that could make someone feel alone and isolated, things I never want to make anyone feel. Do yourself a favor and read this, it's entertaining and it sheds light on some important topics.

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleveland Rosebud Potts is a 7th grader who dreams of spending her 8th grade year at the American School of Paris, far from her home in Sassafras, Florida. She’s got a plan and a checklist to make her dream a reality.

But lots of obstacles stand in her way. Her good friend from elementary school has decided she’s too good for Cleveland and abandons her. Her father is a gambling man, and not only stole money from his boss but also money Cleveland earned as a dog walker, and this lands him in jail. Her older sister and mom work a lot to pay the bills. And her best friend Declan has decided to hang out with the son of the man that put her father in jail.

But through it all, Cleveland persists. I loved the way the book explored relevant issues (incarcerated parent and changing friendships) at a middle grade reader accessibility.

With themes of hope, forgiveness, acceptance, family, and friendships, I can’t wait to add to my 4/5th grade classroom library when it’s published in October 2019.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that will stay in your heart for awhile. Cleveland is a character that you can’t help but cheer for as she navigates her new life while her father is in jail. She has amazing support from her mother and sister but is finding anyone who knows her from school is turning her back on her. Even her best friend, Declan, has a secret.
But as long as Cleveland concentrates on her Paris Project - the steps she’s going to take to get her to attend the American School of Paris and move there - she’ll be able to get through everything, right?

[Lizz Axnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not one of Donna Gephart's best. I fell in love with Lily and Dunkin, which set a pretty high standard and most of what she has written after has fallen a little short for me. However, the book redeemed itself in the end.

Cleveland Potts lives in a tiny town in Florida. Something bad happened in their family and dad is now in jail. Since the town is so small, everyone knows what happened and people treat the Potts family differently. That part of the book was frustrating for me.

Cleveland is obsessed with Paris, France. She practices French in her spare time and yearns all things Paris. She thinks that it is some sort of Utopia with perfect weather where nothing bad ever happens. This is why I didn't like the book. She waxes poetic about Paris for several hundred pages and I just kind of wanted to be like "Girl, do you watch the news?! Since you love all things Paris, maybe you should pay attention to what is actually happening there. It's not the paradise you think!" Cleveland is determined to go to the American School of Paris and live in the La La Land she has convinced herself Paris is.

However, life gets in the way and Cleveland learns that not all that glitters is gold. While she navigates through the trials and tribulations of middle school, she learns there is more to life than just Paris and that she has some pretty good stuff at home right where she is.

I gave this book four stars because it got better after the first 150 pages. However, I found Cleveland to be a little self-centered and obnoxious at times. On one hand, I can understand her frustration with her situation and people treating her badly for something she had no control over, but on the other hand she acts like a brat sometimes and deserves to be knocked down a peg for it.

Overall, not a bad story but definitely not Gephart's best. I know I will not be picking this one up for a re-read.

[Shelly Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes a look at a young girl who dreams of going to The American School of Paris and how, with her trusty list, she intends to get there overcoming one obstacle after another.
Cleveland Rosebud Potts wants nothing more than to wind up attending The American School of Paris. She has a list of things she has made that will get her closer to this goal. Along with her list she saves up all her money from her assorted dog walking jobs. The problem is, Cleveland seems to have everything working against her! She was saving money but something went wrong and now she has an empty tin, her father has caused quite a bit of complication in her and her families life, her mom works all the time, her sister is planning to go away to college soon and leave her, her ex-best friend Jenna decided she was too good for her, and well, the list goes on! What is a girl to do? If you are young Cleveland Potts, you take things one step at a time and learn a lot of lessons.
This book is a very good for middle grade book. It has a lot of lessons to be learned in it from a few different angles. I don't want to give spoilers in this review but one of the best things about this book is that Cleveland and her family aren't wealthy. They have problems that a lot of people have to deal with instead of the often found 'perfect' life type setting. They have strong family ties which is great to see and how in troubling times members can form tighter bonds and it shows how a true friend is just that. A true friend. One that is there no matter what. There are so many more little lessons and things like that which could resonate with different people of different ages on many levels.
This is a good book and one worth giving a chance to.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. The author nailed the opener.

"Monday I got kicked out of ballet school. Not just a class, mind you. Apparently, what I did was bad enough to get me banned from the entire school for the rest of my life."

She ends the chapter well also.

"Things were finally going like they were supposed to. Until Jenna Finch and her stupid pinkie toe had to go and ruin everything."

Then it's all down hill. Cleveland, this spunky, witty character of chapter one, quickly turns into a compulsive whiner for the rest of the book. She whines about her best friend turning uppity on her after she breaks free from the trailer park. She whines about her dad being in prison. She whines about visiting her dad in prison. She whines about her other friend befriending the son of the man who sent her dad to prison (even though he was in his rights since her dad stole from him). Thankfully she doesn't whine about her sister. In fact, her sister deserves a sister-of-the-year-award for always being perfect, never complaining, always finding the rainbow, and easily handing over her hard earned cash.

Besides that, I was totally baffled by the crazy plan to apply to the American School in Paris. Tuition is easily $50,000 for a school like that and yet the mom and sister encourage her in this ridiculous pursuit. Cleveland has no obvious talent, skill or intelligence to think there's any chance she could actually get a scholarship. It's a weak plot. The subplots of a gambling addicted dad and a gay romance are weak as well. There's really only three scenes in the whole book and the rest is filler. The ballet fiasco. The prison visit. Declan's cooking lesson. Then a few minor scenes with whining in between.

And don't get me started on Madeline.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Middle Grade Realistic Fiction. Cleveland Potts is a 7th grade student is Sassafras. Florida who lives with her mother and sister in a mobile home community. Her dad used to live with them, but he has been sent to jail after stealing from his boss (and Cleveland) to support his gambling addiction. Cleveland dreams of going to Paris, where she can live in a world of culture and not have to face the shame of her father's legacy. She has a list-- including ballet, Impressionism, and more that will help her prepare for her future in France. Her sister has her own dreams of getting out, which primarily include going to the University of Vermont.

There are French phrases throughout the story, which was fun for me. The spirit and resilience of the Potts women is remarkable as all three of them work themselves like crazy to provide for the family and support their dreams. This story debunks the myth that those in poverty are lazy and shines a light on the darkness faced by many children who have a parent behind bars. I can't recall any other middle grade stories that deal with this issue. Beautifully written, and full of love and hope despite difficulties.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donna Gephart is such an ally to kids whose stories need to be told, who need to see themselves in the stories they read, and a gift to the kidlit world. In this novel we meet Cleveland Rosebud Potts whose greatest desire is to attend the American School of Paris and live a life of culture. She's created a checklist of six tasks that she thinks will help her attain her goal, but nothing seems to be going right. Her sister is trying to get into college far away in Vermont, her mom is working extra jobs, her best friend from elementary school has turned on her, and her closest friend Declan has a crush on someone Cleveland is angry with...but worst of all her Dad has done something that has made life almost unbearable for the Potts family. Donna Gephart has a way of breaking your heart and putting it back together so compassionately by touching on so many challenging issues our children are dealing with. Set to be released October 8, 2019-If you are curating a collection of ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) stories you just might want to pre-order this one.

[Amber Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Paris Project was a wonderful book representing a population not often seen in middle grade literature: children of incarcerated parents. Gephart allowed the reader to understand the feelings associated with having a parent in jail and still living the community where the misdeed occurred. It was a wonderful window into a world I have never experienced and allowed me to think outside my world. It was a good reminder of how everyone is carrying their own story and every interaction, conversation and experience feeds that story. There were parts of the story that were hard to read and parts that brought absolute joy.
Another theme of this story that I loved was perseverance. Cleveland created a list to help her get to Paris and when the first item didn't go quite as planned, she wanted to give up and wasn't able to see beyond that initial failure. But she, thanks to the encouragement of her friends and family, pressed on to her goal. It was a reminder of the importance of friends and family.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Obviously I read an ARC of this book, which I received from the publisher.) This was a really thoughtful book, with tough subjects handled realistically. Cleveland Potts has a best friend, Declan, an older sister, Georgia, and her parents, all of whom she's close to. She has a dream to attend the American School in Paris, hence the name of the book. She saves money by walking dogs in her neighborhood. The conflicts come in the form of her father's gambling problem which leads to him stealing money from both Cleveland and his boss, which results in a 7-month prison sentence. Cleveland is also dealing with a mean ex-best friend, a new love interest taking Declan's attention away from her, and the trials of 7th grade. Written over the course of a year, this realistic middle grade novel provides a character-driven plot using humor and touching moments. I look forward to sharing this with my patrons when it is published in October.

[Lonna Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big-hearted older sister, Georgia, Cleveland, and their cleaning lady mom wait out the incarceration of Dad for larceny due to a huge gambling problem. He even stole $960 from Cleveland's dog-walking business stash, and the bad PR resulting from this drove away her customers and her dreams of visiting Paris, France. Getting away from Sassafras, Florida will now be harder than ever. Declan is a great friend, Jenna is a spoiled brat, and Georgia is the most generous big sister ever, even though her college savings was used for dad's lawyer and bail. An eye-opener on the devastating effects on families of incarcerated parents, shocking statistics in the book's afterward are sobering. Also included are short French phrases and a recipe for budding chef, Declan's Limeade Spritzer. Kids from trailer parks, gay kids, bullied kids, and kids who are judged cruelly by peers for their parents' bad behavior will all find themselves in this mid-grade novel, and it's worth the read.

[Lorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enterprising Cleveland Rosebud Potts has many pressures to deal with like her father's incarceration for theft, her mother and sister trying to keep the family going while keeping their own dreams alive, and issues with friends as they hit middle school, but she never loses her optimism that she can overcome them to achieve her Parisian dream- though the dream may not exactly happen as she had planned.

The middle grade themes and plot will be of interest to most middle school readers and Cleveland's pluckiness will have readers rooting for her to succeed. If anything, her story encourages us all to to dream big- but it sure doesn't hurt to have a back up as well!

I would recommend this book for purchase to any middle school or public library for purchase.

I received an uncorrected ARC for preview reading and comment.

[Chattynatty Van Waning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleveland Potts wants to leave Sassafras, FL and move to Paris, France. She has a list of “to do’s” she thinks will help her reach her destination. Some examples, take ballet, learn to cook a French meal/dish, learn French, etc. Her life has other ideas.

I was really impressed with the author’s ability to introduce so many tough subjects of discussion and life for our main leading lady and her family: father in prison, gambling addiction, friend coming out as being gay, lack of financial stability to be able to reach goals like her oldest sister going away for College.

I liked the camaraderie among Cleveland, her sister and mother. A great summer reading book for middle grade reader… and some adults too.

[Kate Schoedinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, Donna Gephart tackles another important factor: kids with an incarcerated parent. I admire DG’s ability to handle this without pandering or being pedantic. I love how she layers her stories: sister relationship, family dynamics, BFF who is a boy, former BFF – a girl who ditches her, gambling addiction, financial hardships, goals and dreams. Her voice is enviable too: seems so effortless because of its authenticity, smooth, seamless. Her representation of LBGT is admirable too and so well done. Perfect for MG audience. DG always provides a place for MG readers to find themselves on the page.

[Debbie Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about Cleveland, a seventh grade girl who lives in a small town in Florida. She dreams of going to Paris to escape her small town life, which includes a best friend named Declan (who wants to be a chef, misses his mom who died and is finding romance in places that are surprising to Cleveland), a big sister who also wants out of their small town (but her plan is to go to college in Vermont), her mom (who is working hard to try to make ends meet) and her dad, who is jail for theft. This book covers a lot of ground with a lot of heart and Cleveland will certainly be a character lots of kids will want to get to know.

[Gail Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book, particularly the poignant, hopeful heroine, Cleveland Rosebud Potts, who relentlessly pursues a pie in the sky dream of escaping her podunk Florida town to study in Paris, despite the gentle admonitions of the adults around her. This book is particularly moving as it addresses parental incarceration and gambling addiction, and the great toll that can take on a family, but with plenty of wry humor. It’s a friendship story, a sister story, a story of hope and gratitude for the little things we can and must learn to value. This is another winning and memorable novel by Donna Gephart, one of my favorite middle grade authors.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleveland Rosebud Potts’ world has crashed around her. Her father’s gambling has landed him in trouble with the family and the law. Her best friend has shunned her, and her plan to escape her dead-end Florida hometown for Paris, France, is crumbling. But instead of giving up, Cleveland works even harder to make her dreams come true. She finds comfort in her family and friends, and they pull together to get through the worst times. Donna Gephart is masterful at finding the heart in the story. She offers hope, and even better, she shows that there are often more paths to happiness than the one originally sought.