Each and Every Spark by Claire Swinarski

 

This is a story in two time periods. Modern-day Penny has moved to Paris with her family for her mother's job, but she's deeply unhappy about the move. Marie Bonnet lives in Paris in 1943 and lives with her older sister after their father was taken away by Nazis. Marie discovers that her sister is doing resistance work and, desperate to make a difference, also begins working with the resistance at great danger to her own life. The two stories will intertwine when Penny finds a letter with a long-hidden painting and she sets out to find out more about Marie. Both girls are 13 years old and the vibe of this book is solidly middle grade. This book would definitely be appropriate for middle school libraries, but the sweet spot is going to be readers in grades 4-6. It would fit in well with books such as Number the Stars, The War that Saved My Life, and Codename Kingfisher.  

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

If you like Paris, exclusive boarding schools, and young love, this is the book for you. It's actually the third book of three loosely connected novels, including Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. In this book we meet Isla, who has had a crush on Josh for years. They meet by chance in Manhattan before returning to school in Paris, and the stage is set for their romance. In spite of the predictable nature of the story, I enjoyed the characters and the settings (New York...Paris...Barcelona) and was happy with the ending. Recommended for high school romantics.