Parvana’s Journey

• Genre: Fiction; middle-grade realistic
• Originally Published: 2002
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 700L; grades 4-7
• Structure/Length: 21 chapters; approx. 200 pages; approx. 3 hours, 48 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: After the death of her father, Parvana must journey alone across Afghanistan in search of her mother and siblings. Along the way, she connects with people who become like family members, and together they face the dangers and horrors of war.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: War violence; deaths of family members and children; life in a refugee camp; physical maiming; desperation of poverty; and housing/food insecurity

Deborah Ellis, Author

• Bio: Born in 1960 in Ontario, Canada; began writing around age 11; is a feminist and a peace activist who donates most of her royalties to organizations that help women and children; based the four books in her Breadwinner series (including Parvana’s Journey) on a trip she made to Afghanistan in 1997; named to the Order of Ontario in 2006 and the Order of Canada in 2016
• Other Works: Looking for X (1999); The Breadwinner (2001); The Heaven Shop (2004); Moon at Nine (2014); Sit (2017)
• Awards: ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2003); Ruth Schwartz Children’s Book Award (2003); Jane Addams Children’s Book Award (2003)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit: