the cocalero Novels

book 1

I Am A Taxi

ages 10 to 14 / grades 5 to 9

September 2006 | 9780888997364 | Paperback | $10.99
September 2006 | 9781554980215 | Ebook | $9.95

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.

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Winner, Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award, 2007
Short-listed, Alberta Children's Choice Award, 2008
Short-listed, Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Award, 2008
Long-listed, SYRCA Snow Willow Award, 2007
Long-listed, YALSA BBYA, 2007
Long-listed, OLA Golden Oak Award, 2008
Commended, CCBC Our Choice (Starred Selection), 2007
Commended, CLA Book of the Year for Children Award, 2007
“...because of its unusual setting and subject matter, and Ellis's efforts to explicate complex social, political, and economic issues, this book should find a place in larger collections.” — School Library Journal
“...Ellis exposes her North American readers to the harsh lives being experienced by children and youths who live in developing countries...Highly Recommended.” —CM Magazine
⭐️ “...the strength of the book lies in the glimpse of a single individual struggling to exist in a society with limited options for escape.” — Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW
“Ellis artfully describes the horrible conditions in the overcrowded prison, the street children who sniff glue, and the backbreaking labor-often performed by children-to make the paste that will eventually become crack cocaine...Readers can look forward to a sequel.” — VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)
“Ellis makes a strong and informative case for protecting and honoring coca as an important medicinal and cash crop for the Bolivian farmers while strongly condemning the cocaine trade; as usual, her case is made with compelling characters and riveting action rather than through didactic intrusions.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“Deborah Ellis's latest glimpse into another culture is a valuable addition to her oeuvre.” — Vancouver Sun
“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.” — Quill & Quire
“Once again, Deborah Ellis takes us into the harsh realities of a developing country...[The story] is told in a stark, realistic manner and shows a way of life which is almost impossible for most children in Canada to imagine. I Am a Taxi will be enjoyed by male and female readers in the intermediate grades and I'm sure they will enthusiastically await the sequel...to find out what new adventures await Diego.” — Resource Links
“Readers will be caught up by the nonstop action in the prison, and also in jungle survival adventure, where escape is peppered by the specter of death.” — Booklist
“This book should be in junior and senior high school libraries. The story is gripping, well written, and informative. It will attract reluctant readers and still please those who read more widely.” — Kliatt
“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.” — Library Media Connection
“Vivid details and a thrilling plot will keep older children and teens engaged in this highly-accessible, realistic novel.” — Reforma
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.

book 2

sacred leaf

ages 10 to 14 / grades 5 to 9

September 2007 | 9780888998088 | Paperback | $9.95
September 2007 | 9781554980369 | Ebook | $9.95

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.

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Long-listed, CLA Book of the Year for Children Award, 2007
Commended, Americas Award Commended List, 2008
Commended, National Post's Top New Books, 2007
Commended, Quill & Quire Books of the Year 2007 List, 2007
Commended, USBBY Outstanding International Books, 2008
Commended, CCBC Choices 2008, 2008
Commended, Horace Mann Upstanders Book Award, 2008
Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens 2008 (Starred Selection), 2008
“This compassionate account of the lives of the working poor makes us care deeply about the characters, both children and adults, because their struggles have a human face. Strikingly, the children are as integral to the success of the blockade as the adults, and no one belittles their support. Ellis portrays adults who truly respect the part that children can play in the world and children who believe that they can make a, difference. This ultimately makes Sacred Leaf a powerful work of fiction for young readers.” — Quill & Quire
“...Ellis brings the events themselves alive...[readers] will be sorry to say goodbye.” — Paper Tigers
“...middle school readers possessing a developing social conscience will recognize that Ellis is really telling a story that has a much greater significance beyond just this one isolated happening.” — CM Magazine
“Based on historical events in Bolivia's history, this realistic fiction novel contains enough adventure to draw reluctant readers while providing important information that is little know by today's youth. Highly recommended.” — Reforma
“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.” — Toronto Star
“It's a dramatic story that manages the nuances...” — Kliatt