I Am a Taxi
Book 1 in The Cocalero Novels
- Subject
- Law & Crime
- Age
- 9-12 years
- Format
- Trade Paperback
- Pages
- 208
- Publisher
- Groundwood Books
- Size
- 13.0 cm × 19.1 cm
- ISBN
- 9780888997364
Winner of the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award
For twelve-year-old Diego and his family, home is a prison in Cochabamba, Bolivia. His parents farmed coca, a traditional Bolivian medicinal plant, until they got caught in the middle of the government's war on drugs and were mistakenly convicted of drug possession.
Diego's parents are locked up, but he can come and go: to school, to the market to sell his mother's handknitted goods, and to work as a "taxi," running errands for other prisoners. But then his little sister temporarily runs off while under his watch, earning his mother a heavy fine. The debt and dawning realization of his hopeless situation make him vulnerable to his friend Mando's plan to make big money, fast.
Soon, Diego is deep in the jungle, working as a virtual slave in an illegal cocaine operation. As his situation becomes more and more dangerous, he knows he must take a terrible risk if he ever wants to see his family again.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6
Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
About the author
Deborah EllisAuthor
DEBORAH ELLIS is the author of The Breadwinner, which has sold over one million copies. It has been published in 30 different languages and was made into an Oscar-nominated film. She has won the Governor General’s Award, the Middle East Book Award, the Peter Pan Prize, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award. A recipient of the Order of Canada, Deborah has donated more than $2 million in royalties to organizations such as Right to Learn Afghanistan, Mental Health Without Borders and UNHCR. She lives in Simcoe, Ontario.
Data provided by BiblioShare.
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What reviewers said
“Vivid details and a thrilling plot will keep older children and teens engaged in this highly-accessible, realistic novel.”
“...Ellis exposes her North American readers to the harsh lives being experienced by children and youths who live in developing countries...Highly Recommended.”
“I Am a Taxi is uncompromisingly gritty and graphic, painting a devastatingly accurate portrait of life for kids (and their parents) in the Third World....a good story, well told, with a compelling plot and fully realized characters, that will captivate readers.”
“Deborah Ellis's latest glimpse into another culture is a valuable addition to her oeuvre.”
“...the strength of the book lies in the glimpse of a single individual struggling to exist in a society with limited options for escape.”
“This is not your usual teen storyline....an excellent story that will appeal to any readers who feel trapped by their lives....The characters are well-drawn and realistic.”
