Soldiers' Children Speak Out in Hard-Hitting Book by Award-Winning Author Deborah...

Soldiers' Children Speak Out in Hard-Hitting Book by Award-Winning Author
Deborah Ellis

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- More than one million American and
Canadian military personnel have taken part in the wars in Afghanistan and
Iraq, and hundreds of thousands of their children have been affected. In Off
to War: Voices of Soldiers' Children, by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books),
some of these children have their say. Ellis is known for courageous books
that give Western readers a glimpse into the plight of children in developing
countries. Here, she comes home to share stories that remind us how the human
cost of war is borne not just by those who fight, but by their families.

In writing Off to War, Ellis interviewed children from military families
across the U.S. and Canada. She introduces each of them briefly and then lets
them tell their own stories, in their own words. The kids speak frankly and
openly, offering readers ages 9 and up a rare and deeply affecting glimpse
into the lives of children whose voices are seldom heard. Royalties from the
book are being donated to the Children in Crisis Fund of IBBY, the
International Board on Books for Young People.

According to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, 1.2 million young people in
the U.S. have at least one parent in the armed forces. Some of these children
live on or near military bases, others in civilian communities. Some, but not
all, support our military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Whatever their
political opinions, all of them are affected. Off to War shows us how.

The collected voices of these children -- sad, scared, funny, angry, loving --
make Off to War a powerful and eloquent statement about the families of the
men and women who fight for our country, and the burden they bear. The book
includes a glossary and a list of organizations and publications that help
soldiers, veterans, and their families.

Author and human rights activist Deborah Ellis has donated more than half a
million dollars in royalties to international children's charities. She is
the author of Looking for X, winner of the Governor General's Award; The
Breadwinner; Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak; and other
award-winning books for children and young adults. Her "Breadwinner" trilogy
has been published in seventeen languages.

SOURCE Groundwood Books

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