Deborah Ellis is best known for her Breadwinner series of novels, which have been translated into 25 languages and have generated over $1 million in royalties for charities such as Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan and Street Kids International. She has received numerous awards, including the Governor General's Award, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the University of California's Middle East Book Award, the Swedish Peter Pan Prize, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award, and the Vicky Metcalf Award for a Body of Work. She was recently appointed to the Order of Ontario and won the President's Award for Outstanding Achievement from the Ontario Library Association. Simcoe, Ontario is her home.