It's September 1901, and ten-year-old Keeley and her father are making a fresh start, after the death of Keeley's mother, in a brand new town called Frank that sits in a valley at the bottom of Turtle Mountain in southern Alberta. 
From the moment they arrive Keeley knows she’ll love Frank. Not only can she and her dad live together, but in Frank there's room for children to breathe, as her dad would say. There's also room for mischief, and Keeley quickly gets into some, with the encouragement of a schoolmate named Peter. Peter dares Keeley to spend a night in the coal mine, where she discovers another part of Frank that's a little bit scary. Will things turn out as she hopes?

The Girl from Turtle Mountain (Our Canadian Girl: Keely, Book 1)

Deborah Ellis

Literature & Fiction

Penguin Group

Diego has managed to get away from thugs who were forcing him to make cocaine paste in the jungle, but he doesn't know where he is or how he will find his parents. When he's taken in by the Ricardo family, he's eager to help them harvest their coca crop. Doing so reminds him of home because, like his family, the Ricardos need the harvest for survival. But the army doesn't want any coca getting into the hands of criminals who will turn it into cocaine for the western market and so destroys every leaf it can find. Every family in the area now faces devastation. In protest, the people organise a blockade of Bolivia's main road. Diego is swept along by the excitement of it all, and by the sense of belonging. He makes himself invaluable, running errands, helping out where he can, and making new friends.  But the good humour soon sours. At first the army merely threatens to break the blockade, but then its threats become a violent reality.  When Diego is given the chance to escape, he is tempted. And when he discovers that the person offering rescue could take him to his family, it's almost impossible to resist. But should he stay and fight, or leave silently and perhaps, finally, find his family?

Beyond the Barricade

Oxford Childrens

Breadwinner Graphic Novel

Oxford University Press

Parvana's Journey

This is an account of the Afghan War and its tragic aftermath as told by the women who were caught up in it and became its innocent victims. The voices in this oral history will provide personal snapshots to the news reports of the Taliban activities now coming out of Afghanistan. These accounts provide an historical background to the growth of the Taliban, and reveal circumstances of the daily life of the women who must survive in this very closed society.Through the medium of oral history, this book brings to light the stories of the women who have suffered the consequences of the Afghan War and whose lives and whose daughter's lives have been changed forever. Through the voices of the Soviet women who supported their soldiers on Afghan soil, and the voices of the Afghan women scattered by circumstance around the globe, the last Cold War battle between the superpowers takes on a very personal tone. Policy decisions issued from on high became the rockets that destroyed these women physically, mentally, and emotionally. Children were killed or maimed and homes and families destroyed. Ultimately, these women were forced to flee or become invisible within their homeland. The Taliban militia rose from the dust of this war and by government decree reduced even the most educated and influential of the women to non-person status.

Women of the Afghan War

Praeger

Mud City

Eoin Colfer, Nick Hornby, Roddy Doyle, Linda Sue Park, David Almond -- top authors team up to tell the story of a man who magically connects the lives and times of young people around the world. A video message from a dead person. A larcenous teenager. A man who can stick his left toe behind his head and in his ear. An epileptic girl seeking answers in a fairy tale. A boy who loses everything in World War II, and his brother who loses even more. And a family with a secret so big that it changes everything. The world's best beloved authors each contribute a chapter in the life of the mysterious George "Gee" Keane, photographer, soldier, adventurer and enigma. Under different pens, a startling portrait emerges of a man, his family, and his gloriously complicated tangle of a life.

Click

Children's Books

Linda Sue Park

Ruth Ozeki

Tim Wynne-Jones

David Almond

Margo Langan

Gregory, Maguire

Roddy. Doyle

Nick, Hornby

Eoin, Colfer

Arthur A. Levine Books

Parvana felt the shadow before she saw it, as the man moved between her and the sun. Turning her head, she saw the dark turban that was the uniform of the Taliban. A rifle was slung across his chest as her father's shoulder bag had been slung across hers.... The Talib kept looking down at her. Then he put his hand inside his vest. Keeping his eyes on Parvana, he drew something out of his vest pocket. Parvana was about to squish her eyes shut and wait to be shot when she saw the Talib had taken out a letter. He sat down beside her on the blanket. "Read this," he said. Imagine living in a country in which women and girls are not allowed to leave the house without a man. Imagine having to wear clothes that cover every part of your body, including your face, whenever you go out. This is life in Afganistan, where the Taliban, members of an extreme religious group, until recently ran most of the country.

The Breadwinner: An Afghan Child in a War Torn Land

Scholastic. Inc.

The Breadwinner

BOOKS ON TAPE]

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Deborah Ellis. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Deborah Ellis