The Family Under the Bridge: A Newbery Honor Award Winner

I thought this book was great. Right from the start A gypsy tells Armand that he would have an adventure that day. That day he meet the Calcet family and his life was not the same. Even though he tried to guard his heart, the kids got through to him. It is a great book to read with your family because it offers hope and takes you though on an adventure through Paris, including Notre Dame Cathedral, and The Court of Miracles. Armand said "you should never give up hope," when the fisherman wound up the fishing pole and found the missing pair of his shoe. It it a great book for families that are homeless or having a hard time in life and for all ages.

Natalie Savage Carlson perfectly illustrates what it means to be a family in this heartwarming book. The book is set in Paris in the early 1900's. It explores the world of hoboes and homeless people, a topic which children usually have little experience with. Armand is a homeless man who lives a solitary life under a bridge over the Seine River. He faithfully avoids children, calling them starlings, and saying they will steal your heart if you aren't careful. One day he arrives back home under the bridge, only to find a group of starlings sleeping in his spot. He tries his best to keep them out of his heart, but they work their way in and call Armand their grandpa. The importance of family is the main theme of this book. Armand finds a family and in the end couldn't be happier about it. Children will love this book. Homelessness isn't something that most children are very familiar with. This unique book will help children understand that even children their age can be homeless. Most homeless people are looked at as being lazy and worthless. This book will show children that some homeless people are just like them, but they are just down in their luck. This is a heartwarming book and deserves attention in the classroom.

Armand is a hobo who lives in Paris, under a bridge. He begs and does odd jobs for money to take care of himself and buy food. One day he finds a mother and her three children in his "home", under the bridge. At first he is gruff and unhappy about sharing the bridge, but in time he begins to like and help care for this poor homeless family. As Christmas nears, the children ask for nothing except a home of their own and Armand comes up with a plan to make their wish come true. Natalie Savage Carlson has written a beautiful, sensitive story full of humor, insight and wisdom. With fast paced, interesting scenes, young readers will be able to identify with the characters of the children in the story and begin to understand the meaning of family and the rewards of giving and accepting help from others. Perfect for children aged 9-12, this is also a great read-aloud book the entire family can enjoy and discuss. The Family Under the Bridge is a thoughtful, heartwarming story and Ms Carlson deserved all the awards this book won.

I volunteer in a reading program in a local elementary school and in the media center. This will be the fourth year we will be reading this book aloud in the fourth grade. I made a word list for each student. We locate all place named in the book on a posted map in the classroom. I also consult other sources and copy to show the students that there are suce things as the Louvre, the market place, the bridges. The children make friends with the children in the book and feel as they feel living wthout a home or father. They watch the transformation of Armand and their mother realizing that one can accept help from another gracefully. They also like Jojo and how he turns white after his bath, to say nothing of Armand's improved appearance! We'll keep this book in our collection. We schedule reading it around Christmas.

This is the wonderfully illustrated story of a mother and three children that are homeless and find a spot underneath a bridge in Paris. Alas, the bridge belongs to a hobo, who seems grouchy at first. It doesn't take long for the hobo to take to the starlings, though, and this tale goes on with a series of adventures that finally leads to a home for all involved. It's a lovely tale with the moral of the story being man's humanity to man. I loved this book as a child, and it hasn't lost any of it's flavor with age.