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Yard War by Taylor Kitchings- Tonight at 5:00!

Originally published in the Clarion-Ledger on August 15, 2015. Written by Clara Martin.

 

61Gy6wN9uRL._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_“Yard War” is a coming-of-age story set in Jackson during the 1960s.

Author Taylor Kitchings is a Jackson native; hence, the strong sense of place comes through in this book. Jackson is a place its natives can’t ever seem to fully disentangle themselves from. They may leave, but there is always that pull to return home, and in “Yard War,” Kitchings explores why we stay in a place like Jackson.

Jackson’s newest novelist is most known for teaching English for the past 25 years at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. He has taught thousands of students, myself included, each of whom could tell you that his class had an impact on their life. “Yard War” may be targeted to the 12-and-up crowd, but if you have ever lived in Jackson at one point in your life, you would be remiss in not reading this book.

The book’s main character, Trip Westbrook, is like most boys in Jackson in the 1960s. He loves football, there are Sunday lunches with Meemaw and Papaw, and he’s looking forward to starting junior high. His world, much like the front lawn where he plays football, is pristine.

When he invites Dee, the maid’s son, to throw the football on the front lawn, the neighbors aren’t happy because it’s a sign that integration is alive and well. While Trip says “I tell you what, I want a guy with an arm like that on my team. I don’t care if he’s black, white, or purple,” this seemingly innocent game creates trouble for the Westbrook family.

Should the Westbrooks leave town or should they stay? A story of family ties and fighting for what you believe in, “Yard War” is full of hilarity, moments of heartbreak, and will have you rooting for the good guys. This novel is relevant in that it explores Jackson’s past, present, and future. While this book shows reasons that might make a person leave Jackson, it also encompasses all the good parts that will make one want to stay. As Dr. Westbrook tells his son, Trip:

“It’s like one day God took the best of what’s good and the worst of what’s bad, stirred it all up, and dumped it between Memphis and New Orleans. You can’t move away from a place like that. You have to help keep the good in the mix.”

“Yard War” reinforces the truth about humanity with a football game: Sometimes it seems as if the Goliaths will be the winners, but as Trip reminds the readers, “The good guys won here today. They just might win tomorrow.”

Clara Martin works for Lemuria Books in Jackson.

Release party

Kick off your fall reading with the “Yard War” release party at Lemuria Books on Tuesday, August 18. A signing starts at 5 p.m. with a reading to follow.

Everything That Makes You by Moriah McStay

Post-read, the title now seems so profound, that it could stand alone without the need of a blog post written by myself. My perception of Moria McStay’s debut young adult novel has been greatly transformed since Clara (think the lovely girl who works in Oz) recommended it to me shortly after I started working at Lemuria. I am a relatively new Lemurian, as I started working here a month+ ago. The world of Lemuria has been a wondrous place, where my narrow mindedness has already been exponentially expanded in a relatively short period of time. I have a reputation for being rather persnickety in regards to which books, movies, and music I listen to. Part of my desire in working for the store is to pull my head out of the sand where it’s been buried for so long (as a friend lovingly informed me not too long ago). All that being said, I was prepared to enjoy McStay’s novel, but not to for it to be a tool in a season of self-analysis. It was not the first time I have assumed incorrectly.
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McStay engagingly weaves back and forth between two characters, who happen to be the same person. Fiona Doyle suffered a childhood accident that left half of her face horribly scarred, and has greatly impacted who she is. Fi Doyle appears to be everything that Fiona is not, she is a popular high school athlete who seems to have no visible limitations. McStay, with quite simple prose delves into topics that hit on nerves I was unprepared to visit. Both girls struggle with fear to pursue what they love; to be vulnerable enough to pursue their dreams. They share the same dynamics with their mother, neither ever feels like they are enough for her (none of us can relate to that, I’m sure).  And of course, there is a little drama to be found in their relationships and interactions with their crushes and boyfriends. They share many commonalities, but they are different people as a result of their different stories. My curiosity was insatiable to the end to see which life decisions they would make, and how similar or dissimilar they would be. You will have to read the book to find out the answer for yourself!
It is only recently that I have had time to self-analyze, and liberally bemoan prior mistakes. There is much that I wish I could go back and change, or dynamics in my past that I wish were, well, different. But do I really want to the past to be different? McStay sums it up aptly, “There’s no way to know what I’m missing, or who I’d be otherwise. Stuff happens every day that sets us in on direction or another.” Do I really want to be different than who I am? I think for the most part we all answer, “No”. Everything that we have gone through has made us into who we are; the more scars we bear, the more diverse and hopefully empathetic we are to the foibles of others.
All in all, whether you are young, or a bit older like myself, you will enjoy this book; maybe a little or a lot more than you expect.

Pre-Order YARD WAR by TAYLOR KITCHINGS, coming AUGUST 18!

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We are thrilled to announce that our own Jackson native, Taylor Kitchings, has written his debut middle-grade novel, to be published AUGUST 18 by Wendy Lamb Books/Random House in the U.S. and Canada.

 

Set in Jackson in 1964, Yard War tells the story of 12-year-old Trip Westbrook and the summer that football and a forbidden friendship changed everything in his town.

Pre-order your signed copy here or call 601.366.7619.

For interest in school visits, contact Clara Martin, Children’s Books Buyer and Manager at clara@lemuriabooks.com

Guest post: For those of us displaced Mississippians

Written by William Kirkpatrick

I first experienced Lemuria while in early elementary school in the old Highland Village location. I recall my babysitter at the time worked there as a part time job while she was in high school. Writing this narrative caused me to pause and consider just how far the reach of Lemuria extends beyond the boundaries of Jackson and Mississippi. I’ve lived in Leesburg, VA in the suburbs of Washington DC for almost 10 years while my previously mentioned babysitter was residing in Singapore the last time I had an update on her whereabouts. I suspect there are countless other stories of displaced Mississippians who have had their lives touched in some form or fashion by their experiences at Lemuria.

I grew up in Jackson and have lived all over the South since finishing at MSU in 1993 – Atlanta, New Orleans, Nashville, back to Atlanta, before being asked by my employer to move to the Washington DC area in 2006. As a Mississippian and proud Southerner by heart, moving to DC seemed no different than being asked to move to New York, Detroit, or Toronto – it might as well have been the North Pole. To say we were apprehensive would be a huge understatement. It certainly wasn’t the South – even though all my new neighbors from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey seemed to think it was. Fast forward to present time and I have to share that Leesburg, VA has been a wonderful place to live, but it’s still not the South.

Our boys were 3 and 5 when we arrived in Leesburg. It dawned on me shortly after arrival that if we didn’t make an effort to do so, they would grow up without understanding their Southern roots of a Dad from Jackson and their Mom and my wife Sylvia from New Orleans. I also noticed I was missing The South – other than catfish, sweat tea, and BBQ, I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is that I was missing, but I found a big part of it in Southern Literature. Lemuria played a large role in making that happen. I joined their First Editions Club several years ago and eagerly anticipate the monthly delivery, often working with Adie to add several additional signed first editions to my shipment. For those who say the internet killed the independent bookstore, I can share that without it I would have never known about, let alone joined the First Editions Club.

If you need a reminder of just what being a Southerner is all about – both the good and the bad , grab a copy of William Alexander Percy’s “Lanterns on the Levee”, Richard Wright’s “Black Boy”, John Barry’s “Rising Tide”, or countless other wonderful books by historically well-known authors like Willie Morris, Walker Percy, Eudora Welty, William Faulkner or Shelby Foote. If you prefer a more recent time in South, Lemuria has you covered there as well with Ace Atkins, Greg Iles, and of course John Grisham along with countless others. I had never cried when reading a book until earlier this year when I reached the end of The Secret Wisdom of the Earth by Christopher Scotton in his debut novel. It was the best book I have read in many years. If you haven’t read it, you need to get to Lemuria and pick up a copy.

I’ll close by saying that I have had many reasons to come back to Jackson over the years to visit family. In February 2014 that changed when I spent a month with my Mom in Jackson when she had to be placed in hospice care at the end of her battle with cancer. Her 2nd husband and I took turns staying with her on 24 hour shifts at the hospice facility in Ridgeland. The first week I was there helping Mom was interrupted by my Grandma passing away at St. Catherine’s Village in Madison. To say it was a tough month would be an understatement as it left me with a much smaller family and no remaining relatives in Mississippi. The one place that I gravitated to almost every day after my time taking care of Mom ended was Lemuria. I would estimate that I visited Lemuria 15-20 times that month. I never told anyone why I was there and was treated with the same Southern hospitality I had always enjoyed. For those hours, I was able to be at peace in a different world from the one I had just left.

Our boys are now 11 and 14 and are well on their way to understanding their Southern roots. They have been to Lemuria many times and for several years it has been their idea to go there instead of mine. We don’t get to Jackson as much as we used to and it will probably remain that way for a while, but one of the ways we stay connected is through Lemuria and getting book recommendations from Adie and Clara. The other parts of their Southern Education center around Mississippi State football games and family vacations in Orange Beach. We just smile when people act like we are crazy for vacationing on the Gulf Coast rather than the wonderful nearby beaches in Delaware and Maryland. If only they knew, yet we are happy that they don’t.

YA: It’s a Point of View

On March 31, 2015 Y.A. authors Claudia Gray and Moriah McStay will be at Lemuria Bookstore. Signing at 5 p.m., Reading at 5:30 p.m.

Y.A. is a publishing term that stands for Young Adult, and is a genre marketed to high school students. This genre of “children’s literature” borders between adolescence and adulthood, and often features themes that explore that transition in a young person’s life. Young Adult authors have written books that are fun to read, and some of the best Y.A. books are sharp and well-written, so that there is a far-reaching crowd beyond the age of 17 that enjoys reading Y.A. (looking at you, John Green).

I am delighted to bring the sharpest and wittiest pair of Y.A. authors from the South to Jackson.

Attend an exciting panel at Lemuria Books this Tuesday, featuring Claudia Gray and Moriah McStay. I interviewed Claudia back in November when A Thousand Pieces of You hit the shelves, but now she will be visiting Jackson and Lemuria, along with Memphis author Moriah McStay with her debut Y.A. novel, Everything That Makes You. I can’t sing their praises enough, and will divide and conquer each book.

 

A Thousand Pieces of You

by Claudia Gray

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“Orphan Black” meets “Cloud Atlas” in the first book of this epic dimension-bending trilogy about a girl who must chase her father’s killer through multiple dimensions. A little Dr. Who, a little “Wrinkle in Time” that takes place not only in different dimensions, but in different cities around the world. Gray began her writing career with the Evernight series: four YA novels set in an eerie gothic boarding school. The Evernight books received critical acclaim from national media, earned Gray the title of New York Times bestseller, and jumpstarted her career. She is also the author of the popular and highly praised Spellcaster series, the Firebird Trilogy, and the upcoming Star Wars novel, “Lost Stars.”

Though she has worked as a lawyer, journalist, disc jockey, and extremely poor waitress, she currently writes full time. She resides in New Orleans.

Fun facts: Claudia’s favorite childhood book was “A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and if she could be any fictional character, she would be Hermione.

 

Everything That Makes You

by Moriah McStay

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What if your life had two trajectories that were almost the same, but with slight nuances. What if you never had that scar on your face? These are the questions “Everything That Makes You” asks. The reader follows the same girl in two stories. Moving between them feels like a game, or a great song—exciting, unpredictable, and so compelling. Because luck may determine our paths, but maybe it’s who we are that determines our luck. You will not be able to put this book down—all the more reason to come listen to McStay read this Tuesday!

Moriah says: “I love Mr. Darcy, guacamole, Hob Nobs, indie music, consignment stores, Harry Potter, and love stories.”

While these books may be for the young “adults” of the world, they are also for the young at heart! Visit Lemuria on Tuesday at 5 p.m. to hear Gray and McStay read from their books and explain their writing process.

 

Written by Clara 

Not another Mars book, Vol. 1

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

For fans of The Hunger Games, Star Wars, and the Ancient Greeks.

WARNING: Spoiler alert. Read ahead at your own peril of series induced craze.

Darrow is a Helldiver in the underground mining colony of Lykos. He spends his days drilling into the core of Mars for helium-3 to terraform the surface to make it suitable for the people of Earth to inhabit. Life, if not extravagant, is good. Darrow is the best at what he does, he has a beautiful red-haired wife named Eo, and he thinks any day he will win the Laurel for drilling the most helium.

Up to this point, I admit that I was concerned that I was just reading another space book set on Mars. Well, it is set in space, and on Mars, but it is definitely not just another sci-fi book.

The world Darrow lives in is Red. He is at the absolute bottom of the caste system. There are Browns, Pinks, Violets, Greens, Blues, Oranges, Grays, Obsidians, etc. You are born into your color and you will die in your color. Golds rule the planet.

JacketDarrow the Helldiver and Eo are not meant to last long in Lykos. After trespassing in a garden forbidden to them due to their color, they are sent for punishment. Eo sings a song of death and lament, forbidden by the Golds, and she is sent to the gallows for her zealotry.

“On Mars there is not much gravity, so you have to pull the feet to break the neck. They let the loved ones do it.”

Darrow will hang, too, for burying his wife’s body. He is not supposed to wake after his execution, but he does, and he is now in the hands of the revolutionary Sons of Ares. Ares himself has a mission for Darrow. The Sons show Darrow what Mars actually looks like above ground; a planet that sparkles in dazzling Technicolor in contrast to the rust-covered underground colony of Lykos. Mars has already been terraformed. There are whole cities built above the surface. Darrow has been lied to his entire life; he was not a pioneer for mankind, but a slave. In a way, it must have felt how Dorothy feels when she finds herself in Oz after being in Kansas.

At this stage in the story, the light switch flipped, and I realized all I was reading was Greek Mythology. And if there’s one thing I really love, it’s a good, old-fashioned epic.

So let’s do a little analysis:
Lykos is Greek for wolf (which comes into play later on). It is also the name of a Libyan king in mythology who sacrificed strangers to his father, Ares. In Red Rising, Eo sacrifices herself for the Sons of Ares, and becomes a martyr known as Persephone. Darrow is delivered into the hands of the Sons of Ares to complete a mission for the greater good of Society, and he is our Epic Hero. Ah, Pierce Brown, you are sneaky.

The Sons of Ares have a mission for Darrow. He is to become a Gold, and infiltrate their society and rise to the top, just like a proverbial Trojan Horse.

So, is this just another geeky space book set on Mars? Yes, but it is also full of loyalties and betrayals, alliances broken and forged, grav-boots and a ragtag group of friends. The second book is, if at all possible, even more action-packed, but that’s another blog post for another day.

 

Written by Clara 

 

Cyborgs and Princes and Shells, OH MY!  

What do you get when you cross dystopia with cyborgs, space, and the Brothers Grimm? The Lunar Chronicles! Is it sci-fi? Fantasy? Fairy tales? The wonderful thing about the YA genre is that ALL of these things can be merged…and they can make sense. I’m a little late coming to this fan club, but let’s just say that once I picked up Cinder (Book 1), I flew through the whole series in one weekend, and I couldn’t read Scarlet (Book 2) and Cress (Book 3) fast enough. Also, let’s talk about princesses rescuing princes, because that definitely happens!

The books are well-written (a huge toss-up with YA) and really have a clever twist on the Grimm fairy tales. Each book in the series focuses on a heroine from the Grimm tales (Cinder=Cinderella, Scarlet=Little Red Riding Hood, and Cress=Rapunzel). Have I given too much away already? The reason these books are so smart is that if you know the TRUE Grimm fairy tales, there are some details from the original, German editions that Meyer does not overlook, and she uses these details to her own advantage to drive the plot of her story. While each book stands alone, each heroine’s story is intertwined with the others. Now I’m really giving too much away.

Now, for those people who had to wait 2 years between the releases of each of those books, I feel your pain. Winter is coming (quite literally) in November of 2015, and that feels like light years away. Lucky for us, Marissa Meyer, the lovely author of these books, has inserted a little bonus in the form of Fairest, a story just about Queen Levana (who is she?? Pick up Cinder to find out more) that releases 01/27/2015.

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If you’ve read this far, here’s a step-by-step process to having an enjoyable weekend where all you do is nerd out and read a twist on Cinderella that includes a cyborg.

  1. Read Cinder
  2. Read Scarlet
  3. Read Cress
  4. Pre-order Fairest here at Lemuria.

You know you want to read this series. Do it. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Written by Clara

If I ever get to read again…Pt. 3

I don’t care who you are or what you are, you are never too old to read children’s books. Perhaps I’m biased because I work in the children’s section, but I stand by my statement; especially, where middle grade books and young adult classics are concerned. In fact, I am not alone in my belief. Ask Hannah, Clara, or Justin­­; who can be quoted saying, “for every four adult books you read, you should read one middle grade book.” See? I’ve got backup––Charlie’s Angels has got nothing on us.

Part Three

Novels and Short Story Collections, of the Youth Variety:

  1. Egg & Spoon, by Gregory Maguire

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First off, who doesn’t love Russian folklore? Baba Yaga? Yes, please. I mean, we chose it for September’s Oz first edition club pick for a reason. On top of that, the cover is beautiful, so well done, Candlewick. You guys out there should invest.

 

  1. Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms, by Katherine Rundell

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Another beautiful middle grade book; not only has it got the looks, its got quality as well. Not just one Lemurian, but the entire four who have read it, loved it. Just ask Kelly, Adie, Hannah, or Clara. If you need any more reasons to crack open this book’s spine, just come by and ask one of them––or all––that’s what why we’re here.

 

  1. The Glass Sentence, by S.E. Grove

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So, this looks awesome. And I know, there are things much more important than looks. (I just almost typed “books” instead of “looks.” Yeah right, there’s nothing more important than books. Oxygen? Who needs it?) But come on, you should see the cover in person. In fact, you should come by right now pick up a copy, thumb through it, before you inevitably buy it because, personally, I don’t think you have a choice in the matter. If you want more proof, just check out Justin’s blog. Also, Hannah says it is the best middle grade of the year. And Hannah is right about everything. (Hannah edits this blog and appreciates the flattery.)

 

  1. The Thickety: The Whispering Trees, by J.A. Whiter

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Now, this is a book I am really excited about. In fact, I’m reading an advance copy right now. IT IS SO GOOD, you guys. It’s wonderfully dark, but not in an overwhelming way. Ugh, I can’t wait to finish it. It comes out this March, so for those of you out there who have not yet read the first book in the series, The Thickety: A Path Begins, you have time.

 

  1. The Blue Fairy Book, Andrew Lang                                                                                                         Jacket

I really enjoy fairy tales; the darker the better. Save those Disney flicks for the little tykes at home. Personally, I like something a little more Grimm. (As in the Brothers Grimm, their name could not be more accurate.) From time to time, I pick this book up, late at night, and read the stories my mother never let me enjoy as a child––even though she so totally should have.

 

  1. The Princess and the Goblin, by George MacDonald

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Ooooh, this looks so good. But do you want to know what sold me on this book, or should I say whom? Hannah’s mother read this book to her as a child, and the she describes the image of the way the light hit the staircase at night in the story stuck with her. And her story stuck with me.

 

  1. The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

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Do I even need to state my reasons for wanting to read this book? Let’s just pretend I have read this book, for my benefit. Please, this list is starting to make me feel disappointed in myself. And I call myself a book lover…

 

  1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll

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Deep, deep personal shame, I feel for not yet reading this book. How has it slipped through my fingers for this long? How dare I quote this book on a regular basis? I have no right whatsoever. And do you know what the worst part of all of this is? I’m sure that I’m going to love this book, you know, the kind of love when you feel like a book was specifically written for you. (I feel like we’ve talked about this before.) Some of you out there know me personally, for those of you who don’t; I’m as weird as can be. “But I’ll tell you a secret, all the best people are.”

 

Written by Elizabeth 

Holidays in Oz: The Christmas Mystery

By Jostein Gaarder, translated by Elizabeth Rokkan, and illustrated by Rosemary Wells

JacketThere are officially 25 days left until Christmas. In the Christian tradition, today marks the beginning of Advent, the period of anticipation and preparation before the birth of Christ on Dec. 25. This book is the perfect addition to any home, and will help your family on the journey towards Christmas, much in the same way Mary and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem. The Christmas Mystery is a Norwegian tale about a young boy named Joachim who goes with his father to buy an advent calendar on Nov. 30. They find a very old one that looks homemade. The book-seller gives it to them for free, saying, “I think you should have it for nothing. You’ll see, old John had you in mind.”

When Joachim opens up the door to Dec. 1, a piece of paper falls out. On the back of the paper is a story of a little girl named Elisabet who follows a lamb out of the department store, and each day continues her journey following the lamb. The book is divided into 24 chapters, each representing a day of Advent, and would be perfect to read aloud for each day leading up to Christmas. Each chapter is preceded by a jewel-like illustration by Rosemary Wells, and flipping the pages feels like opening up the flap on an Advent calendar.

Discover the story within a story; as Joachim unfolds each day on the Advent calendar, he also reads about Elisabet’s journey through time to Bethlehem and the birth of Christ. Joachim and his parents also become involved in a journey — to discover the identity of John, the man who made the Advent calendar, and the mystery of the real-life Elisabet, who disappeared 40 years ago on Christmas Eve. This Advent season, pick up the The Christmas Mystery for the whole family to enjoy the wonder and mystery of Christmas.

 

Written by Clara

Author Discovery: Katherine Rundell (Middle-Grade)

As one grows older, reading for hours on end is a luxury. More often than not, a book is read in bits and pieces. So it was delightful to discover the books of Katherine Rundell, who writes with such vivid lyricism that I finished both of her books, uninterrupted, in one Sunday afternoon.

Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms (Simon and Schuster, 2014)

This book is perfect to read, in fact, when it might be thundering outside. Wilhelmina Silver (or Will for short) loves running wild on the African savanna where her father is the foreman of Two Tree Hill farm. Rundell’s prose dances like the lilting speech of the savanna: “It was like the world was carved out of expectant silence. Will sniffed and tucked her legs under her chin. Her knees smelled the same as the air, of woodsmoke and earth. Had anyone ever been as happy as her?” When Will’s father dies of malaria, she is left an orphan and is sent away to boarding school in cold, urban London. Boarding school in England, she discovers, is not a place that welcomes racing, singing and cartwheeling, but is a gray contrast to her sunny Africa. Young readers will recognize Will’s journey to stay true to herself as the world around her changes. The magic of the African savanna comes from Rundell’s own childhood growing up in Zimbabwe, where she lived until she was 14.

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Rooftoppers (Simon and Schuster, 2013)

Rundell’s first novel begins with the lines, “The morning of its first birthday, a baby was found floating in a cello case in the middle of the English Channel.” In Rooftoppers, Rundell flexes her storytelling muscles: “Think of night-time with a speaking voice. Or think how moonlight might talk, or think of ink, if ink had vocal chords. Give those things a narrow aristocratic face with hooked eyebrows, and long arms and legs, and that is what the baby saw as she was lifted out of her cello case and up into safety. His name was Charles Maxim, and he determined, as he held her in his large hands — at arm’s length, as he would a leaky flowerpot — that he would keep her.” Charles names the baby Sophie, and what follows is Sophie’s adventure to find her mother, whom she believes is still alive. As she races over the rooftops of Paris, young readers will be swept up in the magic of the story.

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Written by Clara

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