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Description
"All girls [should read] The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis." — Malala Yousafzai, New York Times
Over two million copies of The Breadwinner Trilogy sold worldwide
Eleven-year-old Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital city. Parvana's father -- a history teacher until his school was bombed and his health destroyed -- works from a blanket on the ground in the marketplace, reading letters for people who cannot read or write. One day, he is arrested for the crime of having a foreign education, and the family is left without someone who can earn money or even shop for food.
As conditions for the family grow desperate, only one solution emerges. Forbidden to earn money as a girl, Parvana must transform herself into a boy, and become the breadwinner.
The Breadwinner is a novel about loyalty, survival, families and friendship under extraordinary circumstances. A map, glossary and author's note provide young readers with background and context. All royalties from the sale of this book will go to Women for Women, an organization that supports health and education projects in Afghanistan.
Contributor Notes
Deborah Ellis is best known for her Breadwinner books — a series that has been published in twenty-five languages, with more than $1 million in royalties donated to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan and Street Kids International. She has won the Governor General’s Award, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the University of California’s Middle East Book Award, Sweden’s Peter Pan Prize, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and the Vicky Metcalf Award for a Body of Work. She recently received the Ontario Library Association’s President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement, and she has been named to the Order of Ontario.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 10 to 14
- Grade:
- 5 to 9
- Reading age:
- 10 to 14
Awards
- Long-listed, Young Jury Awards
- Winner, Swedish Peter Pan Prize
- Winner, Baia delle Favole Prize for ages 9-12
- Commended, Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Award
- Long-listed, SYRCA Diamond Willow Award
- Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award
- Long-listed, OLA Golden Oak Award
- Winner, Hackmatack Award
- Commended, YALSA PPYA
- Winner, Middle East Book Award
- Long-listed, OLA Red Maple Award
Editorial Reviews
A great kids' book...a graphic geopolitical brief that's also a girl-power parable.
— Newsweek
...a book...about the hard times - and the courage - of Afghan children.
— Washington Post
[The books in the Breadwinner trilogy] are terrifying indictments of what war can bring to children and a powerful testaments to the ingenuity and strength of young people in times of terror.
— Book Links
...hands-down, Newberry Medal worthy...This was a fantastic read.
— Washington Times
...an exceptional story that enlightens the reader about circumstances beyond comprehension and helps students understand that all of us in this global community share the same hopes, dreams, and fears.
— Resource Links
This is an important and compelling story for young people...
— Today's Librarian
Out of print
This edition is not currently available in bookstores. Check your local library or search for used copies at Abebooks.
