The Family Under The Bridge,
by Natalie Savage Carlson
Rating: 
(It’s OK)
This story is about an old homeless Parisian, Armand, who enjoys his carefree life. Until, another homeless family (a mother and three children) begin occupying the place he calls his own. The story is about him bonding with the children, and learning to accept responsibility in his life.
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Meggie (Rating: – It’s OK)
I did not like this book very much because of the flaws of the main character. Till the very end, he was a grumpy man and the way he treated other people around him ruined the book for me. One example was when he tricks the three children (of the namesake family under the bridge) into singing at a street corner just so he can collect alms from bystanders.
I’d read this book once, but not multiple times.
Mo (Rating: 
– Worth Reading)
I really liked this book. It’s a heartwarming tale of a cynical homeless man in Paris who lives off what he gets from begging, and how the arrival of another homeless family (the mother and three children) forces him to confront the responsibility he has avoided all his life.
The author is obviously passionate about the city of Paris; she does a great job talking about details of Paris, and bringing the city of Paris to life in the book.
All that said, Meggie’s lukewarm review of this book was eye-opening on how she saw this book differently. This is certainly one of those Newbery award winners that adults might enjoy more than young children.