I am Malala

I am Malala

By Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb   

Little, Brown and Company (2013) ISBN: 9780316322409

If you never heard of Malala Yousafzai, her memoir will make you wonder why you haven’t. As a girl growing up in Pakistan under Taliban rule, Malala, from an early age, valued her education above all things. Her love for learning came from her parents’ passion, especially her father’s, for education. Malala recounts her father’s efforts to establish a school of his own in her beloved Swat Valley and how the Taliban insurgency put her father’s work in jeopardy. As the Taliban became more prominent in the Swat Valley, so did their misogynistic edicts of Islam. The violence against women Malala describes depicts a confused country--a country that once had two female Prime Ministers and yet, banned girls from seeking an education. It was this law that inspired Malala to rise up. She, with the support of her father, spoke against the Taliban and even penned a secret blog under the name Gul Makai. But the Taliban were determined to have her silenced: On October 9, 2012, Malala, then 15, was shot, point-blank, in the head as she rode the bus on her way home from school. Malala shares the details of that horrible day, her path to recovery, and her continued advocacy. Malala has become a global symbol of civil disobedience and a champion of girls’ education.

Quantitative: Lexile Level--1000L; ATOS--7.1

Qualitative: Malala’s retelling of the events that led to her attempted murder and recovery are very straightforward. However, the in-depth description of Pakistani culture, landscape, and vocabulary make this text more complex when considering cultural knowledge and language. To assist the reader with these areas, the book contains a timeline of important events in Pakistan and Swat and a glossary. This text would be most appropriate for students as young as 6th grade to as old as 10th grade.

Content Area: English; Social Science--World History; Government/Ethics.

Curriculum Suggestions: Context and content would determine just how this text would be used to support curriculum. English teachers may want to use this to discuss the genre of narrative non-fiction or use it as a multi-cultural piece to enhance their current curriculum. When it comes to learning from the text, I am Malala would be best in a World History class. Students would be able to gain a primary source experience about Pakistan and the details regarding the Taliban. Other activities include:

• Using Google maps to explore Pakistan and the Swat Valley
• Comparing and contrasting women’s issues in the United States to those in Pakistan
• Researching the current war efforts and the current state of Pakistan
• Creating a blog similar to the one Malala maintained

Common Core Standards: RL.9/10.6

Additional/Digital Content:

• The My Hero Project-- http://www.myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=Malala_Yousafzai_2012

• Share My Lesson on Human Rights--

http://www.sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/Human-Rights-Resources-Girls-Education-50013199/

• Best Resources on Malala Yousafzai--

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2013/10/09/the-best-resources-on-malala-yousafzai/

• TED Talk by Malala’s father, Ziauddin Yousafzai-- http://www.ted.com/talks/ziauddin_yousafzai_my_daughter_malala

Personal Thoughts: I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed by this book. Rather than reading the whole book, I recommend excerpts that relate to the goals of a lesson. Although Malala’s bravery is inspiring, the book itself did not hold my interest, but then again, I am very familiar with the the her story, the history, and the ongoing efforts to eradicate the Taliban. For me, her memoir does not provide anything that cannot be derived from newspapers or online news sources. I also think that students would understand and relate to Malala’s struggle more with a variety to texts that portray her journey and her cause.

*Meets the “Reading Non-fiction Historical” requirement