Malala is an education activist from Pakistan. From a young age Malala spoke out publicly about the discrimination girls faced in regards to their education. Growing up, there were several times when the local Taliban banned girls from attending school. Standing up for what she believed in, Malala continued to advocate for girls right to education. When she was just 15 years old members of the Taliban shot Malala in the head on her way home from school. They wished to silence anyone who fought against them, but they failed. Malala survived the attack, and word of what happened spread globally. People from all over the world came together to help Malala in her fight for equal educational rights. Malala has since written books, become the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and continues to be an activist for education. ( )

My 9th and 10th grade students just finished learning about Malala Yousafzai, so I was curious to read this book and see how it compared to the National Geographic article my students read in class and the documentary "He Named Me Malala". I thought it was interesting that the author started the book with the most famous (and most attention-grabbing) part of Malala's life story--when she was shot in the head by a member of the Taliban for refusing to stop attending school. The book then goes on to give a bit of the history of Pakistan, which might have been more helpful as an introduction or foreword. That being said, I learned a lot from this book. I thought it was particularly fascinating that even though women still struggle to have equal rights in Pakistan, the country made history by electing a female Prime Minister in 1988: the Muslim world's first female leader. The book then goes on to explain Islam and the Taliban; Malala isn't mentioned again until Chapter 5. While slightly disorganized, I felt as though the research that went into this book was quite extensive. Before I read this book, I thought I had a pretty clear understanding of Malala's life, but I was surprised to learn several new facts and details. I especially liked the timeline, which was featured in the back of the book. I wish I had known about this book sooner. I definitely could have used it in my ESL class in our "Fight for Education" unit. ( )