Dinah BrownCríticas

“Who was Malala Yousafzai?” is a biography about a girl named Malala from the Swat Valley in Pakistan. Malala is an activist fighting for equal rights of education in Pakistan. The Taliban invaded her country and made it illegal for women to do many things which included going to school. She was outraged by this and began to speak publicly about the situation. As a result of her outspoken activism, she was shot in the head on the way home from school by the Taliban. Malala nearly died from her injuries. Malala now lives in England and attends Oxford University. She continues to speak about educational rights and fights for the education of children worldwide. Malala won a Nobel Peace Prize for her brave actions and activism. The main idea of this text discusses Malala’s life and accomplishments. The book discusses other people who have fought for their cause and change. The main ideas are supported with key details in the text and information boxes throughout the book. The information boxes provide background knowledge to help the reader better understand the text and material. I have read other books and watched documentaries about Malala. I truly admire Malala for her bravery and her fight for the rights of women worldwide. Everyone has the right to an education. If more children had access to education this world would be a much better place.

Each student in a fourth or fifth grade class would have a copy of this book, and would read this both individually and as a class in the course of a week. Students could research the location of Pakistan and learn more about its culture, landscape, and history. The students could also research a woman in world history that helped advocate education equality. In both cases, the students would either write down or create a presentation of what they learned to share with the class. Students could also watch a speech by Malala and write down what they learned and any questions they would ask her if they could meet her in person.

I could use this book as a model text for biographies in third through fifth grade. After reading the text aloud, and then having my students read it, I would keep the book available to them for reference throughout the activity process. I would ask the students to get in pairs and tell each other summaries of important events in their lives, 3 to five events. Then, each student would write a biography on their partner, using the book as a model text. I could also use this book in a special education sixth through eight grade class to look at geography and culture of persons around the world. I would read this book aloud to ensure that all students can at least hear the story, even if they can physically read it themselves. Together we could create a map of the region wear Malala is from and make textured symbols using different art materials to represent her culture and important things to her as a person. This will make the lesson more engaging and will help students identify more with Malala.

I was moved by this story of courage despite the very real dangers that threatened Malala and her family. The illustrations and reference to influential people—Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa—put into perspective the great impact Malala had on her country and children’s right to education.

Current events are discussed in this account of Malala's journey and the plight of every woman hoping for equal rights in the strict Muslim/Taliban culture of Southeast Asia- namely in Pakistan and Afganistan.½

Who Is Malala Yousafzai? by Dinah Brown, Andrew Thomson (Illustrator) is the remarkable story of Malala. It starts at birth on and tells all the details of her getting shot and after. It is an amazing story of courage and one that not many could or would do. Lots of info jammed in this book of over 100 pages! Lots of great sketches too. Great book for all ages not just for kids.

This book was great for giving anyone a look into the life of Malala Yousafzai. While it is written at a lower reading level than other middle school books, the content was exceptional. The one page additional information about the poet Rumi, the Pashtun people, the United Nations, really helped fill in some gaps for me as an adult. I suggested this book to the 7th grade English Language Arts classes as a way to quickly understand what the hype about this girl Malala is about. This would be a great book for the curricular connections of biography, cultures, perseverance, and grit.

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