Book - Ten Cents a Pound
A mother’s sacrifice for the sake of her daughter’s future.
"Ten cents a pound is what I’ll earn,
To buy these books and set you free."
A young girl is torn by her desire to stay home with her family and the familiarity of their village, and her desire to go to school and discover the world beyond the mountains that surround them. Every time the girl insists that she will stay, her mother repeats that she must go—that there is more to life than labor in the coffee fields. Their loving exchange reveals the struggles and sacrifices that they will both have to make for the sake of the young girl’s future. The sweet, simple text captures a mother’s love and her wish for a life of opportunity for her daughter.
Written by Nhung N. Tran-Davies and Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon
Ages 5-9
24 Pages, picture book
2018
Second Story Press was co-founded in 1988 by Margie Wolfe and three other women dedicated to publishing feminist-inspired books for adults and young readers. For 30 years Second Story Press has published books that matter, many of which have been translated into over 50 languages and have been sold around the world. Their list spans adult fiction and nonfiction; children’s fiction, nonfiction and picture books; and young adult fiction and nonfiction. Second Story Press continues to look for stories that feature strong female characters and explore themes of social justice, human rights, equality, and ability issues.
Nhung N. Tran-Davies is a physician and advocate for social justice through education. Her family came to Canada as refugees from Vietnam in 1979, and in 2013 Nhung founded the Children of Vietnam Benevolent Foundation. She spoke at the UN's International Organization on Migration in Geneva as part of their "I am a Migrant" campaign to help reduce hate speech and promote tolerance. Nhung and her family live outside Edmonton, Alberta.
Josée Bisaillon has illustrated more than 20 picture books as well as numerous editorial illustrations. Her work has received recognition from Applied Arts, American Illustration and The Society of Illustrators. She has been shortlisted twice for Canada’s Governor General’s Literary Awards. Josée lives near Montréal, Québec with her family.