Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through a Never-Ending War

by Deborah Ellis

Joint winner of the South Asia Book Award, longlisted for the Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award, selected for the IRA Notable Books for a Global Society List, the Bankstreet College of Education's Best Children’s Books of the Year 2013, the USBBY Outstanding International Book List, and the CCBC Choices List


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.

Genres: Nonfiction, War, Death, Middle East, History, Childrens, Family

128 pages, Hardcover

First published March 6, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Deborah Ellis (1 January 1960 - ) has achieved international acclaim with her courageous and dramatic books that give Western readers a glimpse into the plight of children in developing countries.

She has won the Governor General's Award, Sweden's Peter Pan Prize, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the University of California's Middle East Book Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award.

A long-time feminist and anti-war activist, she is best known for The Breadwinner Trilogy, which has been published around the world in seventeen languages, with more than a million dollars in royalties donated to Street Kids International and to Women for Women, an organization that supports health and education projects in Afghanistan. In 2006, Deb was named to the Order of Ontario.

Reviews

[Kosar Taheri]

کتاب، روایت زندگی و مصائب دردناک کودکان و نوجوانان افغانی است.
امید به فردایی بهتر، تلاش بی وقفه ، تحصیل و کسب دانش و مهارت ، نقطه‌ی عطف تمامی روایت هاست که تا حدی درد و رنجی را که بر زندگیشان حاکم است را تقلیل می
دهد!
به تعبیر نویسنده:
«شجاعانه زیستن در جنگی بی‌پایان»

[Mrm. Gh]

کتاب با نثری ساده حرف‌های دردناک کودکان و نوجوانان خسته از جنگ ولی امیدوارِ افغان را بازگو کرده است. این کتاب متعلق به واحد کودکان و نوجوانان موسسه انتشارات قدیاتی است.

[writer...]

Eye opening first person accounts of children living in the deprivations, hopes, dreams and realities of Afghanistan..

[Books_Above]

Okeyy so I just love Deborah. She's amazing. And I love all children who've told their stories. Becouse everybody has story to tell. And I love that we have photos of this amazing kids, so they are not only stories, but just people. Who have names, ages, faces and their own experiences.
And this book is so important... it reminds us that just becouse such a tragedy is happening in Ukraine now it doesn't mean we can forget about other wars. We can't forget about them. Because people still fighting. Even though we don't hear about it anymore. And we just must protect people, especially children and women all over the world.

[Alexandra K]

I had the privilege to hear Deborah Ellis speak at my bookstore last fall. One of the things she said that stuck with me was how one of her gifts was being able to talk to anyone. This gift is in full evidence in Kids of Kabul.

Kids of Kabul is a collection of interviews that Ellis conducted with kids between the ages of 10 and 18 who live in Kabul, Afghanistan. She interviewed both boys and girls and got them to tell her how they got to Kabul (most subjects were born elsewhere and came to Kabul to escape the fighting), how their lives were different from when the Taliban was in power, what their future goals were, and what they wanted for Afghanistan. She even included the story of one mentally disabled girl (she's probably autistic, though there isn't money or interest in giving her a proper diagnosis or treatment) who can't speak for herself.

These kids come from all walks of life, from the relatively privileged daughter of a women's rights activist to the boy living in a refugee camp. Some stories are tragic, like the 14-year-old girl in prison for running away from an abusive marriage, and some stories are hopeful, like the boy with the bad legs who is getting treatment and education. I want to mention all of the kids, because their interviews are so wonderful - how can I not mention the girl who wants to memorize the Qu'aran so she can go on a game show and make money to support her family? How can I forget the kids in Scouts that work together to make a difference?

One of my favourite interviews is the first. Faranoz is 14, and everybody says that she has "too much intelligence." She really didn't know this before, but since she's been going to a kind of school at somebody's house, she knows that she is smart. Now she can read, and when people say that she has no rights, she can point to books and say that, "here it is! It is written down! The law must be respected. Religion does not give men the right to beat us, and now we can prove it." When she grows up she would like to be a doctor - because what else can you do with such intelligence?

Quite simply, these kids blew me away. Their stories are heartbreaking, inspiring and tragic - some of them all at once. These kids realize the value of education, even when their families don't always think the same way. The girls realize that things must change in regards to cultural attitudes towards women in their country, and some of the boys do, too. Everybody wants to live in peace and be safe. One of the biggest themes in this book is hope. Most of these kids know that peace is up to them, and they want to make a difference.

Kids of Kabul is perfect for schools and libraries, and I know they'll snap it up. But really, this book is so accessible and wonderful that it truly deserves a much broader readership.

[Edward Sullivan]

An outstanding collection of interviews with boys and girls ranging in age from 10 to 17 speaking candidly about living in a country still at war and in an environment where violence and oppression still exists all around them. Their lives are full of hardship and painful loss but also resiliency and hope. An important, insightful book.

[Ellie]

4.75 stars.

Super eye opening. To read about their daily lives and hear about thing that should never happen to kids…

[Joshua Lawson]

Oh man, this is a hard-hitting book. Each chapter contains a short interview with a child living in war-torn Afghanistan. Some of them are faring alright in spite of the suffering they have endured, but all of their stories will break your heart. Here are a few snippets that stood out to me:

"No one in this room has a father or husband." -- Faranoz, 14

"...I like to paint the ocean. I have never seen the ocean for real. One day I will, when I travel the world as a famous artist. I paint it because when you look at the ocean, nothing gets in your way. There are no obstacles. You can see forever. That is what we want for Afghanistan--no more obstacles!" -- Liza, 16

"When I miss my family, so much that my chest hurts and everything hurts, I try to calm myself by thinking of my future, because I think it could be a good future if no one comes in and starts killing again." -- Aman, 16

"I have never attended school. No one in my family has. It's just not something we have had the chance to do. I don't know if I would want to go or not. I don't know what it means to go." -- Parwais, 17

"At school I have learned there are better ways to do things than all this war, war all the time. It's the young generation that will change that. My generation. Me." -- Mustala, 13

"I like to draw nature. Mostly what I have seen in my life has not been pretty. We live in a very poor area of Kabul. It is not beautiful. But I have seen photos at this center of beautiful natural places in the world. And even in the ugly parts of Kabul, flowers bloom. You just have to take the time to look at them." -- Noorahu, 16

"I am happiest when I am in this library. All of our problems can be solved with these books. Afghanistan will have a good future if the government will help all the people learn to read and if every community could have a good library so they could find solutions and solve their own problems." -- Sigrullah, 14

"My mother says my generation is the hope of Afghanistan. My sister and I wear jeans and go to school and we hear her stories about how hard it was but we don't really understand it. My mother says we should know about the past but think more about the future.

"My message to other kids? Tell them I want to live with them in a peaceful world and a peaceful country and be happy with my mother and family." -- Shaharazad, 12

[LeeAnn]

Each chapter of this book is a child's personal experience of war-torn Kabul. Heartbreaking and beautiful, these short stories will open your eyes.

This book was written 10 years ago. I wish there was a way to follow up on the young people in this book. What would their lives be like today? Are they still alive? Are they thriving? Making a difference?

[Jennifer]

I read this following reading the 4-book Breadwinner series. This was a much harder read. Each section features the story of a different child/teenager, told in their own words. Because these are real stories, not fiction based on reality, the pain I felt for them was even greater. In my life, my children's life, we have been blessed with so much. Any inconvenience we might have is small compared with what those children were going through. There were girls forced into child marriages who escaped, or who escaped beforehand, kids who lost parents, kids maimed because of land mines, kids who suffered from lack of medical care. Some had no hopes for the future (a child who ran away because she was to be forced into a marriage, and had been in prison for 6 months a 7 1/2 sentence for running away), others had hopes of being doctors, teachers, lawyers, etc. Mostly they were grateful for the education and services many foreign aid societies provided. Their lives were changed through literacy and education.

I wish there was a follow-up book, a "where are they now" to see how these kids turned out ten years later. I worry about them now that the Taliban are in power again. To see the hope they had, and know what happened to their country now, knowing the idealism and motivation they had was not enough to hold back evil people seeking power and authority over others, and knowing they would no longer be "free" makes me sad. I know America couldn't stay to help indefinitely, but it makes me so sad that the people in this country will be treated badly, especially the women and girls. My heart breaks.

This was a fast read, but it was also heavy to read knowing it was real and knowing the future they'd hoped for was not to be realized.

***

"I hear that Kabul is a nice city, with parks and gardens and big shops and even a zoo, but I haven't seen any of that. All I've seen is this area, and it isn't very nice. It doesn't really matter, though, if you live in an ugly place. If you have beautiful thoughts in your head then it's like you are living in beauty. . . .

"War comes when there is no unity, when people look out for themselves instead of each other. But through discussion we can solve all our problems, create unity and avoid war." (Sadaf, age 12, p. 41-42)

***

"I think Afghanistan could be a great country, especially if I was the president. I'd help all the poor people and make sure they have food and electric light. I would make a law that everybody has to go to school. Even adults, because there are a lot of adults who have never been to school, and I think that makes them have bad tempers. If they see me going to school, they yell at me that I should be working. So I would make them go to school, too, so that they'd stop bothering me.

"We need to study to make a good country out of Afghanistan. Right now we are a backwater country. At school I have learned there are better ways to do things than all this war, war, war all the time. It's the younger generation that will change that.

"My generation.

" Me." (Mustala, age 13, p. 46-47)

[Jasmine]

Deborah Ellis travels to Kabul and interviews several children who have been affected by the wars of Afghanistan. Each interview features a different child in the Kabul area who is struggling in some way. Some just want to make enough money to eat for the day others want a chance to go to school. I enjoyed reading this book a lot. I never thought about the children affected by the war I think I thought about Afghanistan as a whole. I understood that each person would be affected in some way, but hearing first-hand accounts of what these children go through really puts things in perspective and goes to show that we all want the same things, a safe place to live, the freedom to go to school and right to choose who we marry. I had to take a break from reading this book because it was so heartbreaking at times. This is definitely worth reading.

[Jess]

Absolutely loved this book! I am always interested in this part of the world, and the more I hear about it, the more I want to keep learning about it and helping them. The main theme that almost every child talked about in these interviews is the want to go to school. Many Americans do take this privilege for granted, and it isn't until you go without do you see the real worth. In order to make the world a better, safer, more peaceful place, boys and girls all around the world need to be educated.

[Karah]

Arresting ( no pun intended) piece of literature. Greatness comes in small sizes. Certainly true with this slender book. It can be read in less than a day. No matter what the consequences of the interviewees' lives, their honesty surrounding their circumstances and decisions empathize you to them. I understand where everyone stands in this book. I just pray they walk to a life of peace and prosperity.

[Cassie Plaster]

Touching account from children living through war, famine, and severe restrictions that are still filled with hope despite their disparate conditions. Their love for knowledge, education and a profession that improves their country is heartbreaking. Education is a gift we should take more seriously. I wonder where these kids are now and what they are doing? I found myself praying for them as I turned each page.

[Maddie Bellone]

This books covers 14 different interviews with children of all ages about how their the war in Afghanistan has effected and changed their lives today. Its an interesting biography because it is not about one specific person. We hear from many different people. Great for older kids and class discussions.

[Diana (diana_reads_and_reads)]

A worthy, tough, heart breaking read, especially knowing that the women and children have it even worse in Afghanistan now. Accessible as a YA book but content warnings for exploitation, human/child trafficking, rape, suicide, child marriage, drugs, violence.

[Holly]

I didn't finish this (though it was very interesting). Many of the stories were so dark, and the kids describe the horror so matter-of-factly -- it was heartbreaking. There was some hopefulness, but I don't think it's appropriate for my 5th-graders... moving to 7/8 classroom.

[Jamie]

An excellent companion title for The Breadwinner. Ellis' interviews provide so much insight and context into multilayered aspects of life in modern Afghanistan. Heartbreaking but hopeful.

[Kelly Urbano]

Very well done.

[Mahsa]

روزهایی که این کتاب رو می خوندم همزمان شد با قطعی اینترنت در ایران، درد ما خاورمیانه های تمامی ندارد که...رنگ به رنگ می شود...سبک و سنگین می شود اما تمامی ندارد...قانون پایستگی درد خاورمیانه ...

[Alexis Roberson]

I absolutely adored the story. I do not like reading non-fiction books but this one kept my interest. It was very inspiring too!

[Miriam]

Each story begins with a shirt explanation of Afghanistan history or cultural to give you a background understanding of why these horrors currently exist.

[Essie Somma]

Quick, lovely read. The hope these kids have breaks your heart, and opens you up to the reality of living in Afghanistan.

[معصومه توکلی]

عنوان ترجمهٔ فارسی: کودکان کابل؛ شجاعانه زیستن در جنگی بی‌پایان

[Kristen Iworsky]

Sad to think about the state of women and girls in Afghanistan today.

[Nicole Glaser]

Wow, talk about putting things in perspective. What amazes me about these children is their optimism and loyalty to country. Oh, and the fact that they don't take education for granted. I hope the writer will continue to follow these children. It's saddening to think about how many of them statistically will not make it into adulthood. I thought of the The Kite Runner and my jump into the world of fan fiction when I read this.
Ellis, Deborah. Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through A Never-Ending War.
Groundwood, 2012
I chose to pair these two books together because each focuses on the innocence that war destroys. Kids of Kabul features 27 different children whose stories tell of a country torn apart by war. The lives of the children are consumed by hunger, poverty, abuse, etc. , but they also have hope, positivity, and a need for normalcy. Things that American students take for granted like education and family, these children work towards the idea that change will bring peace.
This book would appeal to anyone who wants to understand more of the world around him or her. Today’s adolescents have the ability to view the world with the touch of a mouse click, so any student who wants to understand what it means to be a child of war could pick this up and see what a map can’t pick up. Living in such a highly populated military area, it would be beneficial for students whose parents are serving in places like Afghanistan or Iraq to understand why the US believes a military presence in those areas is crucial. It may help them better understand why their own mom or dad is away from them.
Accuracy The book is a series of interviews that the author conducted in 2011 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Each story comes with a photo of the child and each interview contains a blurb on what’s going on in Afghanistan during that time period. For instance, the cultural, political, or social climate is explained so that the reader can make a deeper connection to the child. There is no paraphrasing or change in translation; the words on the page are the same as those uttered by the child.
Authority The author is a philanthropist and activist and she has travelled to the area before. In fact, all royalties from the sale of the book in Canada goes back into a foundation she supports for the Afghani women.
Relevance Readers will be learning about life in Kabul, Afghanistan, a world that is thousands of miles away. It can be used for world history, current events, or even inspire future community service projects.
Appropriateness The stories are told in an easy, straightforward format, making it accessible to a wide audience. A list of sources, organizations, and a glossary will help those who want to learn more about Afghanistan. The content is meant to inspire others to learn the stories of these children and act upon it. Whether that mean learning more about this country or other countries like it or to use this information to make their own community better, it is truly appropriate for all.
Scope : Global awareness is a crucial 21st skill. Whether students are finding Kabul on the map for the first time or seeking to learn about other countries with similar adversities, it is informative and challenges students to make the world a better place.
Literary Merit: Ellis has written several award winning books about the various places she has visited and the children she has met. She speaks for them in a way that few have been able to do. The book has maps, black and white pictures, a glossary of terms, and links for further exploration.
Value Just like Ellis has a personal commitment to social and political injustice, she will provoke her readers will do the same. This is a informative asset to any collection.
WG.8 The student will distinguish between developed and developing countries and relate the level of economic development to the standard of living and quality of life.
WHII.16 The student will demonstrate knowledge of cultural, economic, and social conditions in developed and developing nations of the contemporary world by
a) identifying contemporary political issues, with emphasis on migrations of refugees and others, ethnic/religious conflicts, and the impact of technology, including chemical and biological technologies;
b) assessing the impact of economic development and global population growth on the environment and society, including an understanding of the links between economic and political freedom;
d) analyzing the increasing impact of terrorism.

Mary Russell (Booklist, May 15, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 18))
Karen Coats (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, July/August 2012 (Vol. 65, No. 11))
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2012 (Vol. 80, No. 7))
Larson, Gerry , School Library Journal; Jun2012, Vol. 58 Issue 6, p141-141, 1/6p
ISBN(s): 9781554982035
1554982030
Groundwood, 144 pp.
$15.95

[Heather]

Kids of Kabul includes the stories of a couple dozen kids from Afghanistan told in their own words. Each story begins with a little extra information that does a bit to clarify what the child is talking about (for example, why one child used to live in a jail along with her mom or why another young girl is in prison for running away from her abusive, elderly husband). The stories all have heartbreaking components, but are also extremely hopeful. Reading this book gives hope that the kids will be able to improve the future of Afghanistan.

[Kayla Davis]

This book gives the moving accounts of several different children living in Kabul, a province in war-torn Afghanistan. Throughout the book the different children express their fear and familiarity with the horrors that come with war and the reign of the Taliban. The book highlights a lot of the oppression that women and girls face because they are viewed as being supremely inferior to men. The accounts touch on experiences ranging from children who dig in the trash for a living, to those who have been adversely affected by the abundance of opium that is grown, to those who have been forced into marriage to repay debts, while almost all of the accounts speak of the death of at least one family member. Very inspirational, most of the children talk about the importance of education and their aspirations to become doctors and teachers so that they can help their people and work toward the future of a better and more peaceful Afghanistan. This book gave great insight into the lives of the Afghan children of Kabul. By using the first-hand accounts of children who are living in a war-torn country it really promoted the awareness and understanding of this people group and their circumstances. The personal accounts that make up the majority of the book are the strongest element. The accounts develop the different characters and bring to life their stories. Further, the customs and practices of the culture are introduced. Because of the power that each story held and the engaging nature of each of them I thought that the historical background that was given before each account, although informative, seemed to be repetitive and could have been less extensive. As the reader, the personal stories are really the most engaging so a lot of historical content just begs to be skimmed or skipped over altogether. The main theme in this book is the power of education - all of the students talk about how education can better their lives and circumstances. Afghan culture is something that a lot of people have little insight into, especially in the United States. Because of the tension between the United States and Afghanistan in the past there is a lot of misunderstanding about the culture. A lot of times when people think of Afghani people, unfortunately only stereotypical things like head scarfs, turbans, and even worse, terrorism, come to mind. I think this would be a great book to begin to open students up to the culture of the Afghan people and what it is that many of them really face living in a war zone. I think in using this book in the classroom students would come away with a better understanding of Afghani people and their culture and more importantly learn that they Afghans and the Taliban are two separate entities and they too have experienced victimization at the hands of the Taliban. This book would really be more fitting for students in grades 5th through 6th.

Ellis, D. (2012). Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through a Never-Ending War. Berkley, CA: Groundwood Books.

[Madeline Isaak]

Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through a Never-Ending War by Deborah Ellis is a documentary of interviews with adolescents who currently live in Kabul, Afghanistan. Many children in Afghanistan have to work to help support their families. Some of the jobs include picking up garbage, selling food, washing cars, and hammering metal. To the children this is normal everyday life for them, they aspire to succeed and school and live better lives. Some children are not given the option to succeed such as Parwais, he has never attended school and all he wants to do is be able to keep his “warm, dry job as a museum cleaner” (Ellis, 2012, p. 78). Many other children are imprisoned because the broke cultural laws such as fleeing form a forced marriage. These children are dealing with struggles on day-to-day basis. Deborah Ellis provides good insight on this topic. She becomes a reliable source because she travelled to Kabul and worked with children. She was able to get to know the children in a real life setting. She has personal experience with this topic. The purpose of this book is to educate the reader about the lives of the children who are currently living there. Ellis discusses difficult topics such as child labor and unfair laws. Many young readers may have not experienced what children are experiencing in Kabul. This can be insightful to the reader and help the reader advocate against child labor. Also this book can create appreciation for being able to go to school and have clean drinking water. I do not think young readers understand the harsh living conditions of Afghanistan. This book really opens the eyes to reader of how everyone is in fear of dying every day, “Afghanistan is one of the world’s most heavily land-mined countries on earth” (Ellis, 2012, p. 110) and many of the children and people there have died because of the land mines. Many students can relate to this book because Ellis has incorporated children of the same age as the reader. These children often have similar interests and because of their own experiences were shared it would help create empathetic understanding and feelings (Louie, 2006, p. 442). Children learn through experiences. We would recommend this book to anyone it provides a different perspective on life outside of the United States.

[Caty Molnar]

Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through a Never-Ending War by Deborah Ellis is a documentary of interviews with adolescents who currently live in Kabul, Afghanistan. Many children in Afghanistan have to work to help support their families. Some of the jobs include picking up garbage, selling food, washing cars, and hammering metal. To the children, this is normal everyday life for them. They aspire to succeed in school and live better lives. Some children are not given the option to succeed such as Parwais. He has never attended school and all he wants to do is be able to keep his “warm, dry job as a museum cleaner” (Ellis, 2012, p. 78). Many other children are imprisoned because the broke cultural laws such as fleeing form a forced marriage. These children are dealing with struggles on a day-to-day basis. Deborah Ellis provides good insight on this topic. She becomes a reliable source because she traveled to Kabul and worked with children. She was able to get to know the children in a real life setting. She has personal experience with this topic. The purpose of this book is to educate the reader about the lives of the children who are currently living there. Ellis discusses difficult topics such as child labor and unfair laws. Many young readers may have not experienced what children are experiencing in Kabul. This can be insightful to the reader and help the reader advocate against child labor. In addition, this book can create appreciation for being able to go to school and have clean drinking water. We do not think young readers understand the harsh living conditions of Afghanistan. This book really opens the eyes to reader of how everyone is in fear of dying every day, “Afghanistan is one of the world’s most heavily land-mined countries on earth” (Ellis, 2012, p. 110) and many of the children and people there have died because of the land mines. Many students can relate to this book because Ellis has incorporated children of the same age as the reader. These children often have similar interests and because of their own experiences were shared it would help create empathetic understanding and feelings (Louie, 2006, p. 442). Children learn through experiences. We would recommend this book to anyone because it provides a different perspective on life outside of the United States.