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by: Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb
Recommended Age: YA
Lexile: 1000L
Sensitive Topic(s): Disturbing scenes of violence (not described too vividly, but may frighten/scare younger readers),
For younger readers who may get scared with the violence:
"I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday.
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.
Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate. (She's 24 years old as of this post)
I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons." (book summary)
What I Thought:
Though I've already reviewed the Young Readers Edition of this book, I felt my thoughts on it were not the whole story. I also needed to read a memoir for my ELA class for winter reading, so why not accomplish two goals with one effort? My first thoughts on this book was that I was fiercely inspired but I was also equally horrified (mainly because I can't imagine half of what Malala went through happening to me) It was a true eye-opener despite being quite informed of the events happening with the Taliban, especially now with the Taliban currently in Afghanistan. What I loved most about the book was how her father and mother believed in her, despite being scared for their child they never refused her right to an education or for her to speak up for others' rights to education. On page 286, during a speech to collect an award for her (Malala) her father says (to the audience), "In my part of the world most people are known by their sons. I am one of the few lucky fathers known by his daughter." To be honest, when Malala described the sight at Green Chowk, where every morning there would be corpses of people executed by the Taliban on display for all to see, the Taliban simultaneously warning them "If you don't follow us and the "correct" way to be a Muslim, then this will happen to you" (they didn't actually say this exact line, but their warnings [in the book] were somewhat like this) Because of this, Green Chowk became known as "Khooni Chowk" (Bloody Square). I was so inspired by Malala and her life's work, and yet she is only 24 years old as of this post and already making such a big impact on the world.
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