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Kid Book Reviewer

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The Breadwinner

8/28/2016

4 Comments

 
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Reviewed by Olivia

Rating: High Five!

Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of I Am Malala and other books about women prevailing in extraordinarily terrible predicaments.

Synopsis (from Amazon):
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 — works from a blanket on the ground in the marketplace, reading letters for people who cannot read or write. One day, he is arrested for the crime of having a foreign education, and the family is left without someone who can earn money or even shop for food. As conditions for the family grow desperate, only one solution emerges. Forbidden to earn money as a girl, Parvana must transform herself into a boy, and become the breadwinner. 

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.


4 Comments
Sandy Brehl link
8/28/2016 09:40:18 am

So happy to see this amazing book gain current attention. It has been reissued with updated cover to go with what is now a four-book series about Parvana. Anyone who reads it can continue on through the series to learn how she faces the challenges of teens and young women. Brilliant and important stories, and a wonderful review.

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Kid Book Reviewer
8/28/2016 10:24:20 am

Thank you! That great to hear that there's a series. We'll definitely be looking into that!

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Aqsa
8/28/2016 04:09:23 pm

Great review! So glad that you enjoyed it- this book and series is very powerful with it's message, characters, and the overall plot line. I finished the series just over a year ago as a school book project, and it really keeps you going; I guarantee that you won't get through the book(s) without shedding a tear or being heartbroken! Female empowerment is something that Ellis really captures; so awesome that you took the time to read this amazing book, and post an equally awesome review! :)

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Olivia and Oscar from Kid Book Reviewer
9/5/2016 08:32:43 pm

Thanks, Aqsa!

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    The Kid Book Reviewers

    Hey there! We're Olivia (15) and Oscar (12), brother and sister, and we both have a giant love of books. 

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