How to do Paris with One Leg

Maya Bright is in Year 8 and is now relatively comfortable with being an amputee. She can do most of the things her peers can do thanks to her sparkly, prosthetic leg. Her French teacher announces a week-long exchange to Paris and Maya, unlike some disabled people, desperately wants to go especially as her best friends, Vita and Myles, are going. Her parents are more cautious, which is very realistic. Much communication occurs between them and the school, prior to allowing Maya to go.

When the exchange partners are announced, all the other children are matched with their partners, based on mutual interests. Maya, however, is matched on disability. This again is hugely realistic but something Maya resents violently. Dove allows Maya to rant about why it is so often presumed that disabled people will automatically get on with other disabled people.

Levi, her French exchange partner, is a wheelchair user and is initially very sullen and uncommunicative. Can Maya, who wants to be a social media influencer, and is therefore documenting her whole trip and only showing the positive parts, win him over? And what will Maya learn about herself and the true meaning of friendship?

In this brilliant book, Dove talks about the double-edged sword of using social media as a disabled person. You want to present yourself positively, but you should also be truthful and sometimes that can be problematic.

There is a memorable scene that takes place in Disneyland Paris which many young people would dream of. This book will be enjoyed by Dove’s fans old and new.