This is the book my class and I read, and I loved it. I loved how Greg Mortenson survived by walking to the village. ( )

Booklist, Feb. 1, 2009 (Vol. 105, No. 11)

Three Cups of Tea tells the story of Greg Mortenson's work to build schools and other community outreach establishments in some of the remote villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The book tells of Mortenson's struggles to build relationships in this part of the world, and his decision to focus on educating young girls as a means to help bring peace to a war-torn region of the world. The book is also a platform for promoting the Central Asia Institute -- Mortenson's foundation through which he is able to fulfill most of his philanthropic missions.

This Young Reader's Edition is a wonderful adaptation of the longer written-for-grownups text -- most of the text is true to the original, though the language has been softened somewhat, and many of the references to violence and hatred have been either removed or toned down. Sarah Thomson has done an excellent job of adapting the text and story for the sensitivities of younger readers. I'm rather appreciative of this, as my daughter is on the younger end of the target audience for this edition, and I would not feel comfortable reading to her stories of such extreme violence as is taking place in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Middle East (and elsewhere in the world) right now.

Of course, references to 9/11 have come up several times, and my daughter has asked me about these. She had a vague sense of that day (the events taking place only three weeks before she was born in 2001), but no one has really talked to her about it yet, so the references in the book opened the door for a brief discussion, which was nice. Because the book focuses so heavily on the positive steps Mortenson is taking to establish peace and bring girls' education to this part of the world, any discussion of the Taliban or Osama bin Laden might end on a happy note: "See, the terrorists do terrible things, but this story tells about the steps one person can take to bring about so many good things."

The interviews at the end of the book with Amira, Mortenson's daughter, also add positive spin to perspectives of this region of the world. In an age when so many people are afraid of Muslim terrorists, Amira helps to point out that the Muslim children in Pakistan and Afghanistan are, for the most part, just like us. The book engenders hope, not fear, and is a very positive introduction to some extreme contemporary political matters.

I enjoyed this book and appreciated the "easy read". From other reviews, I read that the adult version has much more political involvement throughout the storyline. I thought this YA version had just enough information to keep me interested, enough stories to get me invested, and an excellent assortment of photos to connect you to the people in the story. This was a quick and enjoyable read for me and it has led me to look further into the Pennies For Peace campaign. Since I am in charge of our Vacation Bible School this summer, we are going to do the Pennies for Peace Foundation as our mission project and help raise money for these schools and for the much needed supplies. To find out more about this mission go to www.penniesforpeace.org. ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-8

Plot Summary: After attempting to climb K2, Greg loses his guides and finds himself in Korphe, a small town in Pakistan. The village he wanders into offers valuable food and nurses him back to health. Greg promises to return to build a school for the children of the village so they won't have to learn outside, use sticks and dirt, and only have a teacher 3 days a week. This book follows Greg's real life experiences as he builds a school in this village and many others, facing danger, death, and greed along the way.

Setting: Pakistan and Afghanistan

Characters: Greg
Tara, Greg's wife
Jean Hoerni (male), rich man who donated money
Haji Ali - chief of the first village Greg builds a school

Recurring Themes: generosity, perserverence, being grateful for what you have, education for women, travel, foreign language, Muslim, education, school, war

Controversial Issues: The war between the US and the middle east is discussed. Greg believes the way the fight terrorism is through education, not war.

Personal Thoughts: While this book may not have been suspenseful, it certainly kept my attention and was a fairly quick read. I thought it was convenient that Greg knew so many langauges. I would have liked to hear about how he manages to learn a few words in so many different languages, but maybe I would have learned that by reading the adult version. Greg's daughter also seems to be quite sophisticated and mature for her 12 years, sharing her opinion that she should wear the clothing of the local community to show respect. The foreword by Jane Goodall seemed overindulgent and unneccesary. Despite these criticisms, I did enjoy the book and I do recommend it. ( )