Deborah Ellis was born in Cochrane in Northern Ontario, and is the author of twenty books for young people. Many of her books focus on the children of war. She expands the definition of war to include deep poverty and diseases that are allowed to spread when we have the means to stop them. Her books take place in countries around the world, such as Afghanistan, Bolivia, the Middle East, and Southern Africa, and cover topics such as hatred between peoples, AIDS, and children caught up in the illegal drug trade. Her latest book is Off To War, interviews with children of Canadian and American soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Lunch With Lenin, a collection of short stories. Her next book is called Children of War - interviews with Iraqi refugee kids. It will be out in January of 2009. Deborah lives in Simcoe, Ontario.