Liberté, by Gretchen Angelo, is a first-year college French textbook with a true communicative approach. The author teaches French at California State University, Los Angeles.
Really effective beginning text. I use it with 7th-9th graders. The graphics could be better, but the fact that Angelo focuses on key grammar and vocab in DEPTH rather than going for BREADTH allows me as the teacher to supplement the text with films/outside readings/current events. The audio recordings are quite good as well.
I had previously used Motifs, Deux Mondes, and Allez, viens! LIBERTE is by far the easiest/most effective method to use for both me and my students.