TRYING IT ON FOR SIZE...
Eighth-grader Tim Marsh nervously dons a burqa as Canadian author Deborah Ellis describes the restricted life of Afghani women from her 2000 novel "The Breadwinner."

The story follows 11-year-old Parvana, a young girl who, under Taliban rule, is forced to conceal herself as a boy to earn money for her family who lives in a bombed-out

building in Kabul. During five separate assemblies Monday in the Large Group Instruction room, Ellis explained the makings of her book (and its 2002 sequel "Parvana's Journey") and how the Taliban came to power and the effect it had on society, especially on its women - who are required to cover their faces in public. Ellis' appearance at

the school comes in connection with the "One Book, One Island" project, a local collaborative that seeks to promote reading and literacy.

PHOTOS BY ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent