A Song for Bijou
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Life for Alex Schrader has never involved girls. He goes to an all-boys prep school and spends most of his time goofing around with his friends. But all that changes the first time he meets Bijou Doucet, a Haitian girl recently relocated to Brooklyn after the earthquake-and he is determined to win her heart. For Bijou, change is the only constant, and she's surprised every day by how different life is in America, especially when a boy asks her out. Alex quickly learns that there are rules when it comes to girls-both in Haitian culture and with his own friends. And Bijou soon learns that she doesn't have to let go of her roots to find joy in her new life.
Told in alternating viewpoints against the vibrant backdrop of Haitian-American culture, Alex and Bijou take their first tender steps toward love in this heartwarming story.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this modern-day Romeo and Juliet romance, Farrar (Rules to Rock By) contrasts the cultures of two neighborhoods and two students in Brooklyn, N.Y. Seventh-grader Alex Schrader is smitten when he first lays eyes on Bijou Doucet, the "beautiful girl with butterfly braids" who survived the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and now attends a nearby school. Courting Bijou proves problematic for Alex since Bijou's strict uncle won't let her leave the house unescorted it takes creative strategizing, help from mutual friends, and breaking household rules for the two to get together. For Alex, getting to know Bijou and the music and culture of her community firsthand are worth the risk; Bijou is less sure. Inevitably, trouble brews when the couple are caught lying to their guardians, and a mean prank carried out by Alex's nemesis also threatens to curtail the blossoming friendship. Although the novel's celebratory conclusion is a little farfetched, Alex and Bijou's narrative voices are distinct and authentic. Readers will admire his heroic traits and sympathize with her conflicting loyalties. Ages 10 14.
