The Sky of Afghanistan
The Sky of Afghanistan By Ana A. de Eulate Illustrated by Sonja Wimmer Published by Cuento de Luz Age Range: 5+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “An Afghan girl dreams of peace.” —School Library Journal Description This Afghan girl doesn’t stop dreaming and her dreams fly towards all the regions, entering homes, families and hearts. Reviews & Accolades “Eulate and Wimmer offer a forceful vision of hope for Afghanistan’s future, told from the perspective of “a little Afghan girl who doesn’t stop dreaming.” A kite that “struggles against the wind”...
Read MoreA Refugee’s Journey from Afghanistan
A Refugee’s Journey from Afghanistan By Helen Mason Published by Crabtree Publishing Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…[an] effort that reveals the plight of children affected by the horrors of war…” —School Library Journal Description Sonita was born in a refugee camp in Pakistan after her family fled Afghanistan during the war in the early 2000s. Unwelcome in Pakistan, her family returns to Afghanistan, where Sonita and her family face new challenges. Interspersed with facts about Afghanistan and its people, this narrative...
Read MoreThe Breadwinner
The Breadwinner Original book by Deborah Ellis (Graphic novel adapted from feature film) Published by Groundwood Books Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A realistic view of the contemporary migrant scene, along with complex truths about race and class.” —Booklist Description This beautiful graphic-novel adaptation of The Breadwinner animated film tells the story of eleven-year-old Parvana who must disguise herself as a boy to support her family during the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan. Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out...
Read MoreStormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees
Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees By Mary Beth Leatherdale Illustrated by Eleanor Shakespeare Published by Annick Press, Limited Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…educators and librarians looking for a human face for the refugee crisis will find this offering essential.: —School Library Journal Description The phenomenon of desperate refugees risking their lives to reach safety is not new. For hundreds of years, people have left behind family, friends, and all they know in hope of a better life. This book presents five true...
Read MoreCultural Research: Either the Beginning or the End of the World
Author’s Note on Research By Terry Farish Either the Beginning or the End of the World delves into a horrific family memory carried over generations. The memory is of family members who starved to death during Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge genocide. I’ve been on a long journey into Cambodian history and culture to begin to understand what this memory could mean to a young girl two generations later. The books I read and sources I interviewed tell a story themselves about my focus. It wasn’t on the wars, but on living after surviving them. I had read widely on wars in...
Read MoreEither the Beginning or the End of the World
Either the Beginning or the End of the World By Terry Farish Published by Carolrhoda LAB Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N Read a Sample Chapter “…a glimpse into the complicated lineage of war-torn areas.” —School & Library Journal, starred review Description For sixteen years, it’s been just Sofie and her father, living on the New Hampshire coast. Her Cambodian immigrant mother has floated in and out of her life, leaving Sofie with a fierce bitterness toward her—and a longing she wishes she could outgrow. To me she is as unreliable as the wind. Then...
Read More15th Anniversary of The Breadwinner
This slideshow requires JavaScript. Deborah Ellis reflects of the 15th Anniversary of The Breadwinner below and Groundwood Books releases beautiful new covers for the series. “It’s been thirty-six years since the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. It’s been twenty-six years since their departure marked the start of the bloody civil war. It’s been nineteen years since the capture of Kabul by the Taliban army, and fourteen years since that terrible day in September that unleashed events leading to the Taliban’s removal from power. That’s an awful lot of war for a country that’s barely the...
Read MoreShooting Kabul
Shooting Kabul By N.H. Senzai Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers “For all of Fadi’s differences from his Fremont, California classmates, he will still seem very familiar to many middle schoolers. The novel allows readers a view of a different culture and provides background for events that still plague us today.”—Steven Kral, VOYA Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N Description In the summer of 2001, twelve year old Fadis parents make the difficult decision to illegally leave Afghanistan and move the family to the United States. When...
Read MoreMahtab’s Story
Mahtab’s Story By Libby Gleeson Published by Allen and Unwin “Gleeson has created a protagonist with the strength of a woman yet the naïveté of a child. Her writing style is fluid, and it captures readers’ attention from the very beginning.” –School Library Journal Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N Description Mahtab was hollow. Empty, as if her flesh and blood, her energy, that kept her breathing and running, thinking and talking, was gone. Nothing was in its place. She was hungry. Hungry for water, for her father, for her grandmother, her...
Read MoreWords in the Dust
Words in the Dust By Trent Reedy Published by Arthur A. Levine Books “…[a] deeply moving view of a young girl caught between opportunity and tradition in contemporary Afghanistan.” –Booklist “An inside look at an ordinary Afghanistan family trying to survive in extraordinary times, it is both heart-wrenching and timely.” –Kirkus Reviews Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N Description Zulaikha hopes. She hopes for peace, now that the Taliban have been driven from Afghanistan; a good relationship with her hard stepmother; and one day even to go to...
Read MoreThe Breadwinner
The Breadwinner By Deborah Ellis Published by Groundwood Books “…The Breadwinner is a potent portrait of life in contemporary Afghanistan, showing that powerful heroines can survive even in the most oppressive and sexist social conditions.” —John Green, Booklist Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound| B&N Description 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 —...
Read MoreParvana’s Journey
Parvana’s Journey By Deborah Ellis Published by Groundwood Books “This is an excellent way for young YA’s to understand the plight of the Afghani people.” —Claire Rosser, KLIATT Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N Description In Parvana’s Journey, the Taliban still control Afghanistan, but Kabul is in ruins. Parvana’s father has just died, and her mother, sister, and brother could be anywhere in the country. Parvana knows she must find them. Despite her youth, Parvana sets out alone, masquerading as a boy. She soon meets other children who...
Read MoreWEAR YOUR WELCOME
