Since its publication in 2000, hundreds of thousands of children all over the world have read and loved The Breadwinner, the fictional story of eleven-year-old Parvana living in Kabul under the terror of the Taliban. But what happened to Afghanistan’s children after the fall of the Taliban in 2001? In 2011, Deborah Ellis went to Kabul to find out.
The twenty-six boys and girls featured in this book range in age from ten to seventeen, and they speak candidly about their lives now. They are still living in a country at war. Violence and oppression exist all around them. The situation for girls has improved, but it is still difficult and dangerous. And many children — boys and girls — are still supporting their families by selling items like pencils and matches on the street.
Yet these kids are weathering their lives with remarkable courage and hope, getting as much education and life experience and fun as they can.
All royalties from the sale of Kids of Kabul will go to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (www.cw4wafghan.ca), which administers Parvana’s Fund, supporting schools, libraries and literacy programs for Afghan women and children.
Key Text Features photographs maps glossary introduction historical context additional information
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.6 Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.9 Compare and contrast one author's presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).
Product Details
ISBN-13: 9781554981823
Media Type: Paperback
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Publication Date: 10-01-2018
Pages: 128
Product Dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range: 12 - 14 Years
About the Author
DEBORAH ELLIS is the author of the international bestseller The Breadwinner, which has been published in thirty languages. She has won the Governor General’s Award, the Middle East Book Award, the Peter Pan Prize, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award. A recipient of the Order of Canada, Deborah has donated more than $2 million in royalties to organizations such as Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, Mental Health Without Borders, the UNHCR and the Children in Crisis fund of IBBY. She lives in Simcoe, Ontario.
Read an Excerpt
Read an Excerpt
I used to think, if only I could read, then I would be happy. But now I just want more! I want to read about poets and Afghan history and science and about places outside Afghanistan.
— Faranoz, 14
I try to remember that my house is not me. Where we live it is very, very bad. We have no clean sheets, no beds. We sleep on the floor. We try to keep it clean but there is mud when it rains and dust when there is no rain. We have no electricity, just a little oil lamp that we light to do our home-work, but we must work quickly and not waste the oil.
— Sharifa, 14
What People are Saying
What People are Saying About This
From the Publisher
Winner of the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction
Finalist for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award
Winner of the South Asia Book Award
An IRA Notable Book for a Global Society
A Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year
A USBBY Outstanding International Book
A CCBC Choice Book
“This nuanced portrayal of adolescence in a struggling nation refrains, refreshingly, from wallowing in tragedy tourism and overwrought handwringing.” — Kirkus Reviews
“It’s a gritty, poignant, and intensely personal glimpse into the effects of war and poverty.” — Publishers Weekly
“Each of their stories is introduced with relevant, contextual, cultural details from Ellis’ sharp observations.” — Smithsonian
“With a succinctly written opening for each interview, Ellis provides valuable historical, social, political and cultural context. A beautifully written introduction, thorough glossary and a list of organizations and books for additional information further round out the book. A must have for most libraries.” — CCBN
“Young readers will likely appreciate Ellis’s approach, which renders social and political trends in one of the world’s most volatile regions accessible by focusing on the experiences of kids their own age.” — Quill & Quire