Fiction

The Family Under the Bridge

The Family Under the Bridge

  • Downloads：7001
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-07-24 06:55:40
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Natalie Savage Carlson
  • ISBN：0064402509
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

This is the delightfully warm and enjoyable story of an old Parisian named Armand， who relished his solitary life。 Children， he said， were like starlings， and one was better off without them。
But the children who lived under the bridge recognized a true friend when they met one， even if the friend seemed a trifle unwilling at the start。 And it did not take Armand very long to realize that he had gotten himself ready-made family; one that he loved with all his heart， and one for whom he would have to find a better home than the bridge。

Armand and the children's adventures around Paris -- complete with gypsies and a Santa Claus -- make a story which children will treasure。

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Reviews

Lisa ，

Read this aloud to my 5yo， and though she liked it， this is one classic award-winning book that I think should just stay on the shelves and get replaced with something better。 How the homeless man Armand seems kind of crusty but actually falls in love with the three homeless kids is kind of sweet， but I mostly found the book lacking in real depth， and there were some weird choices （like the mom leaving her three kids under the bridge all day alone）。 The main problem I had with it was the extende Read this aloud to my 5yo， and though she liked it， this is one classic award-winning book that I think should just stay on the shelves and get replaced with something better。 How the homeless man Armand seems kind of crusty but actually falls in love with the three homeless kids is kind of sweet， but I mostly found the book lacking in real depth， and there were some weird choices （like the mom leaving her three kids under the bridge all day alone）。 The main problem I had with it was the extended （over multiple chapters of this only 9-chapter book） stereotyping of the Romani people。 Yes， it did show them as welcoming people， and it did try to address the prejudice against them on the mom’s part， though it didn’t do it very well。 But it also used the slur “gypsy” constantly （I edited it out when reading to my daughter and used their people group name instead）， portrayed them as thieves and dishonest people， among other things。 I know it was written 70 years ago， but honestly， we don’t have to give things a pass just because they’re old。 In this case， I don’t think we’re missing much to just choose other books instead。 。。。more

Cathlina Bergman ，

I adore this little book！ It should be made into a little film narrated by Juliette Binoche。 😊🥰

Letter ，

Đổi gió với văn học thiếu nhi với cuốn sách nhỏ xinh。 Lời văn dễ hiểu， câu chuyện tuy không quá gay cấn nhưng cũng đủ mang lại những thông điệp dễ thương: hành trình người ăn xin trao trái tim cho bọn trẻ và thay đổi bản thân vì chúng。 Truyện cũng giúp mình biết được thêm về người gypsi。 Một cuốn sách đủ để trẻ em có thể đọc và cảm nhận。

Erin ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 -

Tiara ，

I look forward to future installments of The Family Under the Bridge 。

Fatima ，

a very quick read， but an absolutely heartwarming one。

LUCILE ，

Absolutely Brilliant Book！

Ariel Jensen ，

A Christmas story of hobos and Gypsies。 Set in Paris， beneath tents and bridges。 With little red headed children （repeatedly referred to as starlings） and a grumpy tender hearted grandpa figure。 As Monsieur Armand would say， “Oh là là。”

Kimberley ，

So good！ I read this book every year at Christmas。

Amy Flanagan ，

Still love this little book about Paris。

Linda Martin ，

This is a delightful novel for young children。 At the time I read this out loud to my children we were all living in a navy blue Ford Escort while looking for another house to move into。 That was the Y2K winter of 1999-2000。 We were in Dunsmuir， California。 I had just put all our worldly possessions into a storage locker south of there in Redding， California。 We were homeless in a tiny car with two cats。Reading about this other homeless family was a comfort to us。 I don't remember all the detail This is a delightful novel for young children。 At the time I read this out loud to my children we were all living in a navy blue Ford Escort while looking for another house to move into。 That was the Y2K winter of 1999-2000。 We were in Dunsmuir， California。 I had just put all our worldly possessions into a storage locker south of there in Redding， California。 We were homeless in a tiny car with two cats。Reading about this other homeless family was a comfort to us。 I don't remember all the details of the book - only that at the time it held our attention and we were grateful to be reading it。 I was a single parent homeschooling two children， aged 9 and 10， and this was an adventure for us。 We left a neighborhood in the SF Bay Area where my daughter was being abused by neighbors， and traveled north to find 。 。 。 I knew not what， but I trusted that the right place would come to us， and it did。 The next home we found we stayed in for more than ten years。 。。。more

Elise Allee ，

Cute little family read aloud。 Good practice for my French accent。

Marné Yates ，

Cute read aloud story。 The boys keep saying "Oh， la la！" Cute read aloud story。 The boys keep saying "Oh， la la！" 。。。more

Megan Roberts ，

A simple yet insightful book。 Great read aloud for the family。 Generates good questions and conversations on family， morality， homelessness and society。

Sarah Cook ，

Heartwarming <3

Emily Barylske ，

This was my favorite children's book when I was growing up， I purchased a copy years ago and every now and then in my adulthood I pick it up and reread it。 This was my favorite children's book when I was growing up， I purchased a copy years ago and every now and then in my adulthood I pick it up and reread it。 。。。more

J G ，

Great book to read around Christmas time with good lessons of generosity， hope and love。 This book brought the issue of homelessness to my son in new ways and we had good discussions。 I do think there could be more nuances in the imagery of homelessness in this book， but it’s a start。 Also a Paris setting is always a plus！

Lisa M。 ，

Read with my 1st grader。 Great story。 Learned alot and did some studying about Paris as well。

Zachary McCoy ，

3rd-6th realistic fictionThis is a story of developing love and care for those around you。 It reminds me of many Disney movies where the main character meets someone that they don’t care for but before long they care so deeply for them that they would do anything。 This is shown in this book when Armand is willing to do anything to save the family from the people trying to take the children away。 Overall it’s an emotional story that’s very good and engaging。

Nahuatl P Vargas ，

Moving， simple。

Chelsey Wilson ，

Eh。 I liked how Armand’s character grew as the story went on， but I just wasn’t a huge fan of the book。

Roykim ，

This book takes place in France Paris where we meet Armand。 A person who seeks adventure and despises children and normal life。 （he also has no job or home） One night he goes under a bridge that he usually uses to make a shelter for him to sleep in but instead finds a three children and a dog without their mother。 They introduces themselves as Suzy （the oldest） Paul（the second youngest） Evelyne（the youngest） and the dog named Jojo。 He finds out that they were kicked out of their home because the This book takes place in France Paris where we meet Armand。 A person who seeks adventure and despises children and normal life。 （he also has no job or home） One night he goes under a bridge that he usually uses to make a shelter for him to sleep in but instead finds a three children and a dog without their mother。 They introduces themselves as Suzy （the oldest） Paul（the second youngest） Evelyne（the youngest） and the dog named Jojo。 He finds out that they were kicked out of their home because their father died and their mother didn't have enough money to pay rent。 Their mother told them to hide under the bridge before the social services come and split them apart。 He later meets the mother and finds her a very proud and disrespectful woman。 I will end the review here because of SPOLIERS but i think this a very quick read if you have nothing else to read。 Nothing fancy but a simple book to read。 。。。more

Amanda ，

I know this is a classic， but I just feel mostly meh about it。 There are some very sweet moments， for sure; Natalie Savage Carlson tucks in some nice little interactions with the trusting， innocent children and says a few things about society in very soft-gloved ways， all while keeping her protagonist delightfully true to his own lazy， curmudgeonly ways。 But， honestly， it wasn't nearly as charming as I'd expect from that run-down。 It was drawn out and kind of boring to me （despite the extreme br I know this is a classic， but I just feel mostly meh about it。 There are some very sweet moments， for sure; Natalie Savage Carlson tucks in some nice little interactions with the trusting， innocent children and says a few things about society in very soft-gloved ways， all while keeping her protagonist delightfully true to his own lazy， curmudgeonly ways。 But， honestly， it wasn't nearly as charming as I'd expect from that run-down。 It was drawn out and kind of boring to me （despite the extreme brevity） and the only part I really fell in love with was when they were with the gypsies （and that part ended far too abruptly and in such a dissatisfying way）。 Maybe if I'd read it when I was much younger I'd have liked it more？ 。。。more

Shantel Burrer ，

It is a great story of an older gentleman who learns what family is all about when he meets the Calcet children。

Lisa ，

Sweet story set in Paris。

Morgan Stout ，

I read this to my preschooler and I really enjoyed it， but it was over her head a little bit。 She understood the storyline， but I look forward to reading it to her again in a couple of years when she can appreciate the Paris setting。

Tabitha ，

I’d wait to read this till my kids are older。 Topics of homelessness， gypsies， and Santa Claus are covered

Rebecca ，

Got this one to read to G and enjoyed it myself as well。 Some heavy topics， but beautiful relationships make it worth it。

Colorado Buck ，

Boy。 They didn’t mince their words in the 50’s。 This is a story about how love wins。

Charles Wagner ，

Workingman of Paris Ordinarily， I would have considered this book a gem， being a Newberry honor book and illustrated by the talented Garth Williams。 But， a closer look makes me consider the sordid underbelly of mankind。 Are we all on the edge and one step away from disaster？ The father died and the landlord tossed the mother and three small children into the street， not unlike the modern self-sufficient model。The landlady probably went to mass afterward。 Unable to pull themselves up by their Workingman of Paris Ordinarily， I would have considered this book a gem， being a Newberry honor book and illustrated by the talented Garth Williams。 But， a closer look makes me consider the sordid underbelly of mankind。 Are we all on the edge and one step away from disaster？ The father died and the landlord tossed the mother and three small children into the street， not unlike the modern self-sufficient model。The landlady probably went to mass afterward。 Unable to pull themselves up by their bootstraps， the children were left under the bridge， while the mother worked at a laundry。 They trusted a stranger， usually not a good idea。 Father Christmas failed to provide them a house， but family was most important to them， even though righteous ladies wanted to send the children to an orphan’s home and jail the mother。Rich benefactors dined graciously after smugly paying for Christmas Eve sauerkraut and wieners for the homeless under the bridge。 Then， as now， charity was merely an excuse for bad governance。 But， the hobo cleaned himself up， got a job with a small apartment- the roof he had prayed for。 Still， they were only one stroke or accident away from being thrust under the bridge again。When I began reading， I expected another sappy Christmas story in which everything ended hunky dory。 Not the case。 But， the finale left the characters still on the razor’s edge， one small slip from catastrophe。 And， my daughter says I am not allowed to say gypsy。 I had not heard that one before， but I do not get out much。The resolution was better than what would probably have occurred in real life。 Perhaps， this might be an interesting book to discuss with your youngster。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Family Under the Bridge

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Family Under the Bridge&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Family Under the Bridge&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0