Groundwood Books

Sacred Leaf

Written by Deborah Ellis

For readers 10 - 14 years old | Published September 01, 2007 | ISBN 9781554980369
JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Drugs, Alcohol, Substance Abuse

Cover of Sacred Leaf

$9.95 CAD

208 pages
Digital Format

Also Available in Print

About this book

Sacred Leaf

Deborah Ellis

The Cocalero Novels

USBBY Oustanding International Books selection

After he finally manages to escape from being a virtual slave in an illegal cocaine operation, Diego is taken in by the Ricardo family -- poor coca farmers who provide a safe haven while he recovers from his ordeal in the jungle. But even that brief respite comes to an end when the army moves in and destroys the family's coca crop -- and their livelihood.

Diego eventually joins the cocaleros as they protest the destruction of their crops by barricading the roads, confronting the army head on. As tension between the cocaleros builds to a dramatic standoff, the wonders whether he will ever find a way to return to his family.

About the Author

Deborah Ellis

DEBORAH ELLIS is the author of more than two dozen books, including The Breadwinner, which has been published in twenty-five languages and was recently adapted into a feature-length animated film and a graphic novel. She has won the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Middle East Book Award, the Peter Pan Prize, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award for a Body of Work. She has received the Ontario Library Association’s President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement, and she has been named to the Order of Canada. She has donated almost $2 million in royalties to organizations such as Women for Women in Afghanistan, UNICEF and Street Kids International.

Awards and Praise
Ellis sketches believable, well-delineated characters in very few words: in Diego, grief and decency, eagerness to help and desire for affection comingle appealingly...a remarkably compact blend of character and engaging, dramatic events...a good choice for reluctant readers.
  • Long-listed CLA Book of the Year for Children Award, 2007
  • Commended USBBY Outstanding International Books, 2008
  • Commended CCBC Choices 2008, 2008
  • Commended Quill & Quire Books of the Year 2007 List, 2007
  • Commended Horace mann Upstanders Book Award, 2008
  • Commended National Post's Top New Books, 2007
  • Commended Americas Award Commended List, 2008
  • Commended CCBC Best Books for Kids &Teens 2008, 2008
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