I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am either really emotional this morning, or this memoir just punches you in the feels over and over again. Reading about girls being unable to even go to school was really hard on my teacher's heart for so many reasons.

I hate that things like this happen in the world, but I like the messages that Malala has shared and continues to share because of it.

Pages: 327

I Am Malala by Malala Yousefzai and Christina Lamb

You probably heard the story about a teenage Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban for promoting education for girls. This is her story co-authored with Christina Lamb, a British author.  Malala's father owned and ran the school she attended, and is also a promoter of education for all and fair and free government.  This is a convincing and heartfelt story of a young girl's growth as she comes into maturity in a turbulent time.  She gives first hand accounts of the terror wreaked by the Taliban as they took over her part of Pakistan, and the ineffectual response of the government.  This inside view is very compelling.  Malala comes across as a normal girl, interested in Western TV and music - she loved the Ugly Betty series - who was also acutely aware of the need to bring attention to girls' education. For this, the Taliban targeted her, and she was shot in her school bus on the way home from school.  Due to some miraculous surgeries and some good luck, she has survived and is recovering in London, where the family still lives, as they are afraid to return to Pakistan.  352 pages.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson

In 1993, Greg Mortenson attempted to climb K2, the world’s second tallest mountain. He fell ill, and was cared for by villagers in Korphe, Pakistan, for seven weeks. They saved his life, and in return he promised to build them a school for their children.  That project grew into the Central Asia Institute, a charitable organization that continues to build schools in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.  The book asserts that the way to fight Islamic extremism in the region is through collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty and improve access to education, especially for girls.

Since this book became a bestseller in 2006, Greg Mortenson has been accused of fabricating this account, and of using money raised for the Central Asia Institute for his own expenses. However, the book itself is still a powerful reminder that poverty and ignorance can best be combatted by education and friendship, not bombs and drones.

376 pages