The Breadwinner (Breadwinner Series, 1)

Eleven-year-old Parvana lives in Kabul, Afghanistan, under the Taliban, and this multicultural middle school book shows us what life is like when they're in power. She and her sisters can't go to school. They're not even supposed to go outside, and neither is their mother, unless accompanied by a man. Women and teenage girls must wear a burqa, which covers their entire body and face, except for the eyes. Parvana and her family used to live in a big house, but the daily bombing, which has gone on for years, has destroyed almost everything they owned. Now they live in one room. Her father supports them by reading and writing letters for uneducated people. Even this existence is threatened when the Taliban break in and arrest her father for the crime of having gone to school in England. "Afghanistan doesn't need your foreign ideas," they tell him as they drag him off to prison. Soon the family runs out of money and food, a desperate situation since Parvana, her mother, and her sisters can't be outside unless they're with a man. A neighbor woman comes up with an idea: Parvana can dress as a boy, because boys can come and go freely. She agrees, and wears the clothing of an older brother who died. Since she knows how to read, she earns money the same way her father did and becomes the family breadwinner. Then the family gets exciting news--Parvana's older sister receives a proposal of marriage from the son of old family friends. They live in north Afghanistan, where there are no Taliban. A journey is quickly planned, but Parvana can't go because the friends know she is a girl. Her family can't let her secret get back to Kabul. Parvana stays with the neighbor woman, but then bad news arrives: the Taliban have invaded the very city where Parvana's family went for the wedding. Now what will she do? This book was a fast and absorbing read. The writing style is simple but the story is so powerful I could hardly put it down, and the spirit and resilience of Parvana and her family were inspirational. Author Deborah Ellis visited Afghan refugee camps and talked with many girls like Parvana. She is donating the royalties from this book to Women for Women in Afghanistan, dedicated to improving the lives of women there. Read about current conditions in Afghanistan in this article. Reading level: 10 and up. Parvana, her mother, and her father receive beatings, but the description is minimal. The girl witnesses a public punishment where men convicted as thieves each have one hand chopped off. No gory details, but it is a shocking moment.

Thoughts: I honestly can't walk two feet without being stopped and having this book recommended to me. This went on for about three years before I finally had enough of this and purchased the Breadwinner. And boy, am I glad I did. No one is more up for female rights than I am (I've probably written about a thousand female empowerment stories), and so this book instantly appealed to me. I loved I Am Malala, so hearing that this was in the same vein was immensely exciting. The Breadwinner is the kind of book that really anyone can read. Your age doesn't necessarily matter, since this book is written in a way that can transcend from eight to sixty year olds. But the writing wasn't what made this book impressive; the sheer character of Parvana herself, and the story she takes us along, is completely mindblowing. Sometimes, I had to stop myself and reread a section because it thrust me into disbelief. The things women had to go through under the rule of the Taliban - and STILL have to go through -.... it's just heartbreaking. This book serves not only to make us, as kids, aware of this difficult topic, but also spurs us to want to get involved. I was completely gripped the entire time while reading this book, and by the end of it, I was speechless. While, at some points, this is not the most engaging book per se, it is still a fascinating story that kids of all ages will enjoy.

This was a must read for our sixth grader... Who decided to tell us a week AFTER her first 5 chapter review was due.. thanks Amazon for super quick delivery.. she did alot of reading that weekend. She was not real impressed with the story said it felt... Unfinished and struggled with the actual point of the story. Yet for a child used to comfort it gave her a glimpse of the life other children live...

This is the most wonderful story. I cry each time I read it. I read it to 4th graders for two years and they LOVED this book. Each time we ended a chapter, they'd groan and shout, "Can we PLEEEEASE read another chapter?!" We studied Afghanistan and, to a basic degree, the Taliban as we read Parvana's heartbreaking and inspiring story. We compared Parvana's life to our own, marking all of the differences and similarities throughout the story. I used this as a basis for our "My World and Theirs" project, in which the students researched another culture and did a report on it, comparing their life to the lives of those in the other culture. This year, I'm reading it with 6th graders and I'm looking forward to the higher-level thinking we'll be able to do. I do warn that it has some graphic violence on the part of the Taliban, and the themes are mature and very sad. For this reason, I read the story out loud instead of the students having their own copies. I want to be able to guide them through those parts of the story so they can get the most out of it, rather than being afraid or upset while they read it alone. I like them to hear it from me because it is very emotional and I want to experience that with them. Overall, this is a phenomenal book and I recommend it to anyone of an appropriate age, probably at least 4th grade. Teachers, take note! Your students will be hanging on the edges of their seats.

This book follows the starry of a girl and her life in Afghanistan. It is thoughtful, real, interesting, and eye opening. Watching the main character evolve and deal with everything that comes at her makes this book so engaging.

I bought this for our pre-teen daughter as it was her summer required reading. I wanted to read it first, and did. In one sitting. Staying up until 2 a.m. to get to the end because I was entranced and emotionally invested in the story. I was disappointed that it ended so soon, but gratefully discovered later that there is apparently a series. We will be getting them all! My daughter has thoroughly enjoyed it too and I hope it has impressed upon her additional reasons to be grateful that we live the life we live, in the country we live in. Having said that, I will note that I thought I was going to hate the book based on the foreward that was in the book. It was far too political, left-leaning, and smacked of the blatant cultural political correctness "Kool-Aid" that is being forced down our throats over the past few years. Glad I went past that and gave the book a chance....

The Breadwinner by Deobrah Ellis is about an Afghanistan family that was very affluent prior to all of the wars that have revenged the country for years. Parvana, a young lady, masquerades as a boy as a means of survival for her family and herself after her father is thrown into prison by the Taliban. In this emotionally engaging story you will live the life of a little girl that is forced to be The Breadwinner for her family. This is the first book in a trilogy that will allow the young reader to connect with the Parvana on a child’s level, but will also challenge them to understand the hardships that millions of Afghan children have been and continue to be forced to endure. This book shows the vast differences of accepted societal norms among countries of the world. In the 21st century it is difficult to understand how female women and children can continued to be viewed as possessions of men. In the western regions of the world this type of behavior is taboo and not discussed even though it still goes on. However, in the some regions of the world this is accepted and acknowledged practices. In The Breadwinner, Ellis has managed to capture the life of one young lady that reflects the true life of millions of other children.

My excelerated students are reading this so of course I wanted to read it. A very tragic story of what life is like for women in Afghanistan. Quick read.

I was told to read young adult books ages 11 to 14 and this was on the recommended list, along with many others that I ordered at the same time. This was the first on my pile of young adult books and I read it in a few hours. The trouble is, Ive been left stunned. We have heard Afghanistan's oppression of women and girls. This book makes what has been hear-say real. The women, the little girls are real. Locked up for ever in sunless rooms for life. Window glass painted black, so they rarely see the world. Im left stunned and horrified. But the people and the odd moments of kindness, the flashes of rebellion, the need to innovate and pretend, are there as well. If you are ever wondering why refugees are wandering far across the world, looking for freedom, then this book is for you. I would make it required reading in schools. The main character in the book is not real, but her story is. Read it and dont forget her.

Excellent story seen from the point of view of two young girls under the Taliban in Afghanistan then during the American war . 3 other books complete the story of these two very brave little girls. Amazing. Geared towards a young audience, it is highly readable by all.

Tutto perfetto.

Todo bien

Excelente servicio, el libro llegó muy bien empaquetado y sin demoras.