The Breadwinner, Parvana's Journey, Mud City
Check out the other books in The Breadwinner series to learn more about Parvana and her friend, Shauzia.
Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through A Never-Ending War
Deborah Ellis wrote Kids of Kabul as a follow up to the Breadwinner series. Rather than a fictional representation of the conditions in Afghanistan, Ellis talks to children to get their perspective. Below is a summary of the book from Amazon.
Since its publication in 2000, hundreds of thousands of children all over the world have read and loved The Breadwinner. By reading the story of eleven-year-old Parvana and her struggles living under the terror of the Taliban, young readers came to know the plight of children in Afghanistan. But what has happened to Afghanistan's children since the fall of the Taliban in 2001?
In 2011, Deborah Ellis went to Kabul to find out. She interviewed children who spoke about their lives now. They are still living in a country torn apart by war. Violence and oppression still exist, particularly affecting the lives of girls, but the kids are weathering their lives with courage and optimism: "I was incredibly impressed by the sense of urgency these kids have — needing to get as much education and life experience and fun as they can, because they never know when the boom is going to be lowered on them again."
The two dozen or so children featured in the book range in age from ten to seventeen. Many are girls Deb met through projects funded by Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (www.cw4wafghan.ca), the organization that is supported by royalties from The Breadwinner Trilogy. Parvana’s Fund provides grants toward education projects for Afghan women and children, including schools, libraries and literacy programs. All royalties from the sale of Kids of Kabul will also go to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan. (http://www.amazon.ca/Kids-Of-Kabul-Bravely-Never-Ending/dp/1554981816)
This resource would be useful as a followup to reading My Name is Parvana to get real children's perspectives of living in this country.
Since its publication in 2000, hundreds of thousands of children all over the world have read and loved The Breadwinner. By reading the story of eleven-year-old Parvana and her struggles living under the terror of the Taliban, young readers came to know the plight of children in Afghanistan. But what has happened to Afghanistan's children since the fall of the Taliban in 2001?
In 2011, Deborah Ellis went to Kabul to find out. She interviewed children who spoke about their lives now. They are still living in a country torn apart by war. Violence and oppression still exist, particularly affecting the lives of girls, but the kids are weathering their lives with courage and optimism: "I was incredibly impressed by the sense of urgency these kids have — needing to get as much education and life experience and fun as they can, because they never know when the boom is going to be lowered on them again."
The two dozen or so children featured in the book range in age from ten to seventeen. Many are girls Deb met through projects funded by Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (www.cw4wafghan.ca), the organization that is supported by royalties from The Breadwinner Trilogy. Parvana’s Fund provides grants toward education projects for Afghan women and children, including schools, libraries and literacy programs. All royalties from the sale of Kids of Kabul will also go to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan. (http://www.amazon.ca/Kids-Of-Kabul-Bravely-Never-Ending/dp/1554981816)
This resource would be useful as a followup to reading My Name is Parvana to get real children's perspectives of living in this country.
An Interview with Deborah Ellis
In the following interview, Deborah Ellis speaks about the importance of writing books for young adults.
National Anthem
"Maryam took two steps forward from the group and sang the Afghan national anthem, clear and true. She was always singing along to the radio, and when the radio wasn't on, she sang Afghan and American pop songs from memory. She sang the national anthem as if she was more proud of her singing ability than she was of her country, but so what? Her little sister could count on her voice. Afghanistan still had to prove itself." (pg 38)
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"Article 20 of Afghanistan's constitution (adopted in January 2004) states that the National Anthem of Afghanistan must be in the Pashto language and that it must contain the phrase “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great). It must also mention the names of the ethnic groups in Afghanistan. The following was approved by the Afghan President in May 2006. Words by Abdul Bari Jahani. Music by Babrak Wasa."
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Resume by Dorothy Parker
"Then she knew the perfect thing to write. It was a poem she had learned from the book of American Poetry. It was by a woman named Dorothy Parker.
"Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;;
And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren't lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live."
(pg 131)
Resume, was published in Dorothy Parker's first collection of poems, Enough Rope (1926). Dorothy Parker was a famous American poet, screen writer, editor, short-story writer, critic and satirist.
Donny Osmond & Puppy Love
The other wonderful thing Parvana had now was silence - blessed, beautiful silence. Donny Osmond had finally stopped singing. He seemed to have been wounded in the blast. Every now and then his song would squeak on again. It would whine and wheeze for a few bars and then sputter out and die. (pg 129)
The latest thing was music. They piped music into her cell. Loud music. The same song over and over and over. Only puppy love, puppy love, puppy love, hour after hour. I might just go crazy, Parvana thought. (pg 107)
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The constant music in Parvana's cell is a form of sensory torture used by the American military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other forms of sensory torture include sustained exposure to bright light or darkness, and cold.
Women and children have been detained by the American military for interrogation purposes. Additionally, they have been detained as leverage during their brother's, husband's, and father's interrogation. |
HBO Documentary: Ghosts of Abu Ghraib
* Warning, this video contains graphic images and is not suitable for young viewers. This documentary includes nudity, extreme violence, swearing and sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised.
“We listened as his soul cracked”
“There is a hole in this investigation. It’s a black dark hole that says, COVERUP.”
“We blur the distinction between ourselves and the terrorists”
“It reminded me of Goldings Lord of the Flies. That animalistic, that dark element in each of us is just brought out, its just a matter of, are the elements right?”
“There is a hole in this investigation. It’s a black dark hole that says, COVERUP.”
“We blur the distinction between ourselves and the terrorists”
“It reminded me of Goldings Lord of the Flies. That animalistic, that dark element in each of us is just brought out, its just a matter of, are the elements right?”