I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the…

I absolutely loved this book. I have followed Malala on various social media pages and participate in her used clothing fundraiser (I will include information on this in the resource section under comments). I have been following this story ever since Malala Yousafzai was shot and articles about her began to appear in the media. I have owned this book for awhile and I am glad that I have finally been able to read it! It was difficult to read about the attack on her told from her own point of view. Malala is such an inspiration and an excellent role model for students especially young women. Going into this book I already knew quite a bit about her but I loved hearing her first hand experiences about her life. I also enjoyed learning more about the history and politics of Pakistan. ( )

I don’t tend to read memoirs so this is rare for me. Perhaps, I picked this up because of circumstance. I was with my daughter in Topping and Company bookshop in Ely when I chanced upon this book. My daughter Natasha had been looking for travel guides as she’d just accepted a graduate teaching job in South Korea teaching English As A Foreign Language. This got me thinking about the power of education. If she had no education, she couldn’t have hoped to get such a job. With little or no education, her chances of travel and a good job would be limited. How powerful education is in shaping our future and our response to other people. Education helps us reach our goals and broadens our outlook, experience and enjoyment of life. That is why I bought this book. Education should be at the forefront of all we do. Education is the bedrock. Education is liberating. Education rocks.

I Am Malala is a book that everyone should read regardless of their gender, age, or religion. It is informative, moving, and inspiring. Malala’s bravery shines through and there are wonderful examples of her selflessness. I cried in several places; I smiled too. I loved the special bond between Malala and her father, (especially touching and rare given some of the anecdotes that illustrate how women are treated as second class citizens with no voice, education or power.) I enjoyed reading about her family, her fights with her brothers and how her mother grew stronger and more confident too. More than anything I loved the message about education – how it should be available to all regardless of gender. I loved the bravery of this fifteen-year-old to stand up for what she believed in even if that meant risking such terrible danger.

Malala is an extraordinary young woman and an amazing role model, I am so glad I picked this biography up. ( )

'I Am Malala' deserves the full five stars. 'I Am Malala' is an autobiography, making it feel more personal to the reader. I enjoyed this autobiography by Malala Yousafzai becuase it quoted Malala's Pashto speaking parents, but then translated their quotes to English. I liked the quotes because it made the book feel more authentic. This autobiography is sectioned into important sequenced events. Each being about ten pages long. The sections gave interesting details of before and during Malala's inspiring life. ( )

Excellent book. It was thought provoking and helpful for me to gain perspective into the lives of ordinary people living in the Middle East. I got a little bogged down in the middle with all the names and places, but I think listening to the story on audiobook is what made it difficult to keep everyone straight. But overall, highly recommended. ( )

Popsugar 2016: A book about a culture you're unfamiliar with ( )