Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Journey to Change the World... One Child at a Time (Young Reader's Edition)

Three Cups of Tea: the Young Readers Edition is a condensed version of the bestselling book, Three Cups of Tea, with simplified language that is suitable for kids aged 8 and up. The book is about the efforts of mountaineer Greg Mortenson to build schools, primarily benefiting girls who would otherwise have few opportunities for education, in remote villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson's story is both inspirational and informative, offering much insight into the cultural and religious practices of people in these regions.

I've read both versions of the book and found that the Young Readers Edition captures well the essential elements of the original story. Furthermore, it includes additional colour photos and an interview with show more Amira, Mortenson's daughter, both of which will be appealing to kids. There are a number of extras that adults reading the original book would also find useful, such as a more detailed map of the region, a glossary of terms and a list of people appearing in the book. This book, along with the original, would be ideal for a parent/child book club. My 10-year-old daughter invited three of her friends and their parents to read the books along with us, and we are looking forward to a group discussion when everyone has finished reading. show less

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 show more 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. show less

The best part of this book is the interview with Greg Mortenson's daughter at the end. The book itself is interesting, but the writing is rather stiff and they definitely oversimplified it in their attempt to make it for kids. However, it's an inspiring story and I loved the photos and additional materials at the end. It's definitely worth using it for those materials even if you don't read it from cover to cover.

This is a good book for young people. A lovely story that isn't 100% true it is great to discuss on many levels. It is interesting to include a discussion of a more accurate version of what really happened and why the writter may have changed some of the facts. No matter how you look at it Greg accomplished great things. But he also went to far to the point that his book was used to base intellegence on. Did he hurt or help people or both?
A good companion for this book is the article three cups of deceit.

I am generally more of a visual than auditory learner and I will say that this book actually kept my attention while I was listening to it. It is a very impressive story about working with a culture to promote education and development (rather than imposing it upon them-for example, accepting that the village needed a bridge before it need a school). Unfortunately, the scandal surrounding the author mars the tale and makes the reader wonder if anything they are reading is true. I also feel the story would be more interesting if it focused less on Mr. Mortenson's perceived heroics and more on his deeds and their measurable impact. For that reason I gave the book a 3Q. I gave it a 3P because it may be hard to interest readers in a show more non-fiction title about a culture unfamiliar to them. show less

Win. Town Book Read
Excellent combat feat +/ education
Pg. 112 - is progress inevitable not to be questioned
More than one path to future — saner way of life

Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson’s quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending show more Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit. show less

I listened to the audio of the Jr. edition because I found the adult version poorly written with excessive details. I enjoyed this version which was more clear, though it retained some of the irritants of the original book, such as calling Greg Mortenson, "Greg Mortenson" throughout the entire book. Seriously, we know who he is after the first paragraph. However, the idea that one man can bring about so much good will in Pakistan and Afghanistan can't be overlooked. Very inspirational and hopefully gets kids to understand that they can also change the world.