Biography
Deborah Ellis, 1960-
Deborah Ellis is a Canadian author, peace activist and humanitarian who has achieved international acclaim for her courageous books that give readers in the West a glimpse of the lives of children growing up in developing countries. Her willingness to address such raw and difficult topics such as homelessness, AIDS, women's rights, racism, terrorism, and illegal drugs makes her one of the most courageous and relevant authors of our time.
Ellis has traveled to many exotic locations, including Afghanistan, where she spent time helping in refugee camps in 1997. She is a philanthropist as well as author, and donates almost all of her book royalties to charitable organizations, such as Street Kids International and to Women to Women, an organization that supports health and education projects in Afghanistan.
Ellis was named to the Order of Ontario in 2006. Other awards include the Govenor General's Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award, The Children's Africana Book Award for Older Readers, and an ALA Notable.
Deborah Ellis works as a mental health residential counsellor in Toronto.
Memorable Quotes:
"Nobody really owns anything. We give back our bodies at the end of our lives. We own our thoughts, but everything else is just borrowed. We use it for a while, then pass it on. Everything. We borrow the sun that shines on us today from the people on the other side of the world while they borrow the moon from us. Then we give it back. We can't keep the sun, no matter how afraid we are of the dark."
"There's a desire to protect children from the horrors of the world at the same time other children are being exposed to it. The more information kids have about things that are going on in the world, the better decisions they will make."
"When I was 14, I got put into a psychiatric hospital for a couple of years."
"I have spent time with many individual who have suffered horribly from war or from illnesses sweeping through through their continent. I've talked to people who have lost everything and who still manage to get up in the morning, laugh at a joke, and show kindness to those around them. That is real courage. I've learned that, in the middle of cruelty, it's possible to be kind; that in the middle of great pain, it's possible to share laughter; that in the middle of loneliness, it's possible to reach out to someone and be open to someone reaching out to us. These are acts of revolution. These are acts that can change the world."
"I find the time to write because, alas, I have no social life. Wait, that might not be the best answer - kids will think I'm a loser. Better say something more profound, like we all find and make the time to do things that are important to us."
Memorable Dedications:
"To children we force to be braver than they should have to be." from Parvana's Journey
"To the children of war." from The Breadwinner
"To those who can't get on the ferry." from No Safe Place
"To those we keep in cages." from I am a Taxi
"To those who take liberation into their own hands." from Sacred Leaf
Ellis has traveled to many exotic locations, including Afghanistan, where she spent time helping in refugee camps in 1997. She is a philanthropist as well as author, and donates almost all of her book royalties to charitable organizations, such as Street Kids International and to Women to Women, an organization that supports health and education projects in Afghanistan.
Ellis was named to the Order of Ontario in 2006. Other awards include the Govenor General's Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award, The Children's Africana Book Award for Older Readers, and an ALA Notable.
Deborah Ellis works as a mental health residential counsellor in Toronto.
Memorable Quotes:
"Nobody really owns anything. We give back our bodies at the end of our lives. We own our thoughts, but everything else is just borrowed. We use it for a while, then pass it on. Everything. We borrow the sun that shines on us today from the people on the other side of the world while they borrow the moon from us. Then we give it back. We can't keep the sun, no matter how afraid we are of the dark."
"There's a desire to protect children from the horrors of the world at the same time other children are being exposed to it. The more information kids have about things that are going on in the world, the better decisions they will make."
"When I was 14, I got put into a psychiatric hospital for a couple of years."
"I have spent time with many individual who have suffered horribly from war or from illnesses sweeping through through their continent. I've talked to people who have lost everything and who still manage to get up in the morning, laugh at a joke, and show kindness to those around them. That is real courage. I've learned that, in the middle of cruelty, it's possible to be kind; that in the middle of great pain, it's possible to share laughter; that in the middle of loneliness, it's possible to reach out to someone and be open to someone reaching out to us. These are acts of revolution. These are acts that can change the world."
"I find the time to write because, alas, I have no social life. Wait, that might not be the best answer - kids will think I'm a loser. Better say something more profound, like we all find and make the time to do things that are important to us."
Memorable Dedications:
"To children we force to be braver than they should have to be." from Parvana's Journey
"To the children of war." from The Breadwinner
"To those who can't get on the ferry." from No Safe Place
"To those we keep in cages." from I am a Taxi
"To those who take liberation into their own hands." from Sacred Leaf