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I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)
Unavailable
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)
Unavailable
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)
Audiobook4 hours

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)

Written by Patricia McCormick

Narrated by Neela Vaswani

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

I Am Malala is the memoir of a remarkable teenage girl who risked her life for the right to go to school. Raised in a changing Pakistan by an enlightened father from a poor background and a beautiful, illiterate mother from a political family, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes. I Am Malala tells her story of bravery and determination in the face of extremism, detailing the daily challenges of growing up in a world transformed by terror.
Written for her peers with critically-acclaimed author Patricia McCormick, this important book, which will include photos and illustrations, is about the value of speaking out against intolerance and hate. It's a message of hope from one girl who dreams of education for every girl in every country.

Editor's Note

Destined to be a classic…

Malala Yousafzai fiercely fought to attend school amidst fear in a war-torn northwest Pakistan, and her story, “I Am Malala,” is destined to become a classic memoir. Powerful, sharp, and inspiring.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 19, 2014
ISBN9781478900474
Unavailable
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)
Author

Patricia McCormick

Patricia McCormick is a former journalist and a two-time National Book Award finalist whose books include Cut, Sold, Never Fall Down, The Plot to Kill Hitler, the young readers edition of I Am Malala, and the award-winning picture book Sergeant Reckless: The True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero. Patricia lives in New York. Visit her online at pattymccormick.com.

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Reviews for I Am Malala

Rating: 4.181069683950617 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I really admire Malala and women like her. She listens to her inner voice and speaks her truth because she knows that one voice can potentially make a difference. I did not, however, enjoy reading this book. It felt like a history book and there is a reason I didn't major in history. You can get the heart of the message on youtube for much less time. Skip it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a great book! I read an excerpt from this book to my students when we are in the unit titled Grit. Students really enjoy listening to Malala's story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world." Malala Yousafzai. The inspiring story of a courageous girl who stood up to terrorists who would deprive females of basic human rights, including the right to an education.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Highly recommend.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In her autobiography, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, Malala Yousafzai tells not only her own story, but that of other people who stood up in their own way for education or against oppression. She argues for the value and power of education again and again, making it clear that it is the most powerful weapon against terrorism or extremism.Malala writes, "'Why don't they want girls to go to school?' I asked my father. 'They are scared of the pen,' he replied" (pg. 118). Further, "The Taliban could take our pens and books, but they couldn't stop our minds from thinking" (pg. 146). Countering the Taliban's claim that education threatens their view of the world, Malala writes, "Education is neither Eastern nor Western, it is human" (pg. 162). She also articulates a place for women's rights in the Muslim world, writing, "...We want to make decisions for ourselves. We want to be free to go to school or to go to work. Nowhere is it written in the Quran that a woman should be dependent on a man. The word has not come down from the heavens to tell us that every woman should listen to a man" (pg. 219). Malala concludes, "Peace in every home, every street, every village, every country - this is my dream. Education for every boy and every girl in the world. To sit down on a chair and read my books with all my friends at school is my right. To see each and every human being with a smile of happiness is my wish" (pg. 313).Though the basics of her story are well-known, everyone should read Malala's autobiography for the insight she offers into the role of geopolitics in creating an opportunity for the Taliban and other extremists to seize power. Education is the strongest weapon against them and knowledge of how they gained they power can be used to prevent it from happening again. All readers can learn from Malala's example and speak up for education and women's rights.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    True story of Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani girl with the spirit to simply learn and study and go to school. After the Taliban invasion, she struggled to continue to get educated. Her father is a person with noble dream of putting education on the top list. She was shot by the Taliban and now resides in England.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is extremely readable. It grabs you from the very first word and keeps you hanging on until the very last. Malala's words are thoughtful, beautiful, and powerful. There are parts in the book where you will grin and laugh, and others where you'll cry. So keep those tissues handy! But, it's really easy to see yourself in Malala. For many of us, she comes from a place we've never been and can hardly imagine but she's not that different from us and that comes across very well in the book when she talks about her school life, her arguments with her brothers, her passion for learning and her home. I was especially struck with the beautiful way she spoke of Swat and of her religion, and her passion for peace and education. This book is as inspiring as it is interesting and I definitely recommend it. Not just because of who wrote it, but because of how it's written and the beautiful messages it sends. I really think everyone should read this book at least once. In fact, if it isn't on school approved reading lists for book reports, it should be!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Malala Yousafzai became world-famous after the story of how the Taliban shot her on her way home from school captured media attention. I had not realized how active she had been prior to the shooting or the pivotal role of her father, who was a lifelong education advocate in Pakistan and fought a long battle to deliver quality education to both boys and girls. Malala came into her own activism very much in her father's shadow and gained enough recognition that she was part of a New York Times documentary on the closing of girls' schools in Pakistan. Malala's account also provides a depiction of what it is like to live in a country dominated by terrorists and extremists, giving the reader a picture of how this can affect not just education but also daily life. I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to understand terrorism, Pakistan, and education in impoverished countries.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Heartbreaking and inspiring. Malala, from the earliest pages of this memoir, is incredibly wise and insightful for her age.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Inhaltsangabe: von amazon.de: Malala Yousafzai, geboren 1997, wurde von klein auf von ihrem Vater Ziauddin gefördert und dazu ermutigt, sich für die Rechte von Mädchen einzusetzen. Ziauddin Yousafzai leitete selbst eine Schule im pakistanischen Swat-Tal – und missachtete damit das Verbot der Taliban. Malala lebt heute mit ihrer Familie in England, wo sie sich von ihren schweren Verletzungen erholt. Seit März 2013 geht sie in Birmingham wieder zur Schule. Im September 2013 erhält sie den Internationalen Friedenspreis für Kinder und im Dezember 2013 wird Malala mit dem Sacharow-Preis für geistige Freiheit geehrt.Mein Fazit:Ich hatte es gleich nach erscheinen gelesen. Fasziniert, erschreckt und glücklich über meine bis dahin friedliche Welt in Europa hat es mich zurückgelassen. Da lebt ein pakistanisches Mädchen, fernab von einer zivilisierten Welt, wie wir es kennen. Ihr Vater, ein Schuldirektor und selbst Aktivist in Sachen Bildung, unterstützt sie in dem Bestreben, für Bildung für Mädchen einzutreten. Ihre Mutter, selbst Analphabetin, und ihre zwei Brüder begleiten sie ebenfalls auf diesem Weg.Schonungslos, offen und ehrlich schildert sie die Zustände in ihrem Land, wo die Taliban immer mehr an Macht gewinnen und Terror ausüben. Dabei wird auch deutlich, wie sehr sie ihr Land liebt und sie nicht ganz hoffnungslos ist.Einmal frage sie ihren Vater, wovor die Taliban solche Angst hätten. Er antwortete: Sie hätten Angst vor der Macht des Stiftes. Und das scheint zu stimmen. Malala gewährt mit diesem Buch Einblick in ihre Kultur und ihrer Art zu leben, das es Bildung für alle jedoch nicht ausschließt, aber auch nicht selbstverständlich ist.Ich bin zutiefst beeindruckt von diesem Mädchen und ich bin mir sicher, das sie eines Tages zur einer Jahrhundert-Person wird. Tief in meinem Inneren glaube ich ganz fest daran, das sie in der arabischen Welt etwas bewegen kann.Anmerkung: Ich habe es als eBook gelesen.Veröffentlicht am 16.09.14!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    On the back cover of I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of the best books I have read in the past year. We need more heroes like Malala. She is a very brave girl and comes across as very humble at the same time. What an amazing story. I hope her fame does not spoil her approach and message.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Hard one to rate. It's a 5 star reading experience because of what it is about. Here is a chance to shatter Western stereotypes about Muslims, Pakistan and international relations (read 'war'). I became very fond of the child, Malala, and her heroic father. The writing style is journalistic and unadorned, revealing the competence, and deep knowledge, of co-author Christina Lamb. Sometimes I felt Malala may have been chanelling Christina's voice, but generally we get the voice of the child becoming a young woman. The shooting and the near-death days that follow are vividly reproduced and harrowing the read. If you think you know Malala from seeing her speaking, this book will fill out the remaining essential 90%.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is not a "ripped from the headlines to make fast bucks" read. Malala has a co-author who has reported from Pakistan and Afghanistan since 1987. The history, politics, and culture of Swat, Malala's home, is so vivid. Also her ethnic Pashtun background is explored at fascinating depths. There is so much riveting history here, a lot that I never knew. People in Swat are miserably caught between Taliban and army and between ancient and modernizing forces. Malala's parents, especially her father, should be co-nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize, which I hope she wins. Her love for them shines through, as well as her dislike of her older brother, which makes this recounting more human than Mother Teresa-like. Malala, above else, is a brave girl who saw herself as no different than her schoolmates, other than her strong interest in politics, which developed from her father happily bringing her to meetings and events where other girls stayed home.I hope that she gets to return to her homeland and her classroom (maybe as a teacher) and that her country will be someday be worthy of their finest citizen.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "I am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school founder, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave [Pakistani] parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons" (front jacket) Part biography, part Pakistani history, this clearly written, compelling biography explains the world Malala and her family inhabit: the beautiful but war-torn Swat Valley in northern Pakistan in the 21st century tug of war between radical political and religious groups, her country's military, and a revolving door of national political leaders. Through it all, Malala's girlish voice rings true - and thus the repugnant details of life for women and even girls under the Taliban's rule becomes that much more heart rending. Her unwavering belief in her family, the benefits of education, and most of all in herself will be an inspiring story for many teen readers, in spite of its length (313 pages). It includes a helpful glossary, which brings up another plus: this book helps non-Islamic readers, especially those from the West- grasp the complexities of the near Eastern culture, the swirl of political, cultural, and religious loyalties that defines Pakistan even today. A compelling read, and a timely one for our current world situation!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I thought it was horrible that my father would not allow me to go to college after high school, saying "girl's education is wasted." I eventually got what I wanted, up through a Masters Degree, and resented my father's thinking. Little did I realize that I had it easy, as I wasn't forced to abstain from any studies or education, just the advanced college studies. Malala, in this wonderful book by Malala Yousafzai, was not allowed to study and had to always be looking over her shoulder as she pursued any learning. Her parents encouraged her and her father in particular was always standing up for girls to be educated.Years ago, when I heard of the Taliban destroying Buddhas and other religious icons, I was appalled that no nation stepped in to stop what looked like an emerging terrorist group. As the years passed, it was so, and they had laid a strong foothold in Pakistan. Because Malala was outspoken and unafraid, she was picked out to be silenced. The Taliban, who had taken over control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, decided to silence her with guns. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, she paid the ultimate price for her right to education; she was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding home from school. Eventually, for treatment to save her life, she was flown to England for surgeries and recovery. The entire family was uprooted and are now residing in England, but Malala hopes one day to return to her home country to help others to get their education. One person, one voice but heard around the world to a testimony of how boys are prized but girls are hidden, or even killed, for their beliefs. Change in the world is possible and I heartily recommend this book for those who think they can do nothing. This brave 15 ear old story will inspire you, or at least allow you to see another side of what others endure, that we in America take for granted.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is a must read. This is the autobiography of Malala Yousafzai. Malala became, at a young age, a vocal advocate of education for girls in both her native Pakistan and throughout the world. Because of this, she and her family became a target for The Taliban. She was shot on her way home from school (by bus) one day. Fortunately, she survived to tell her story. Malala gives a brief history of Pakistan and the affect The Taliban has had on it. Please read this book. If you think The Taliban represents all Muslim people, please think again. To Malala: Keep up the good work-the good fight. You are beautiful-inside an out.Quote: "Let us pick up our books and our pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world."
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An incredible young woman.The amazing Malala Yousafzai was plunged into history on Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when, at the age of fifteen, she was shot in the head for standing up for the rights of girls to have an education. In fact she had been campaigning alongside her father since she was eleven. As a girl from the Swat valley area of Pakistan, she fell foul of the rising Taliban, who banned girls from going to school and required they dress in full purda.Her father had been an avid supporter of schools for both boys and girls and he ran his own school in their home town; frequently giving away free places to needy families even though he was barely making ends meet.This version of Malala's life has been penned by the well known journalist, Christina Lamb, who spent many weeks with Malala after she was flown to Birmingham, UK for medical treatment following the attack. It provides quite a lot of background history of the area and the circumstances that allowed the Taliban to insidiously gain a foothold there. We are also introduced to Malala and her family, and get to understand what drove them, particularly Malala and her father to stand up for what they believed.Malala has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her ongoing fight for education for all. If she gets it, it will most certainly be well deserved.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Interesting and educational - good index at the end with history of Pakistan leaders and revolutions, glossary on meanings of some of the language (only wish I realized this while I was reading instead of at the end of the book! - but I never go to the end of the book which in this case was a loss for me). I have mixed feelings on this book. It is told from the view point of a teenage girl who is definitely an inspiration to everyone. I feel like I am missing something, something important left out - but that's just me. It's a heartwarming story and I am sure we will see more of Malala in the future. This is definitely not the end of her story.  
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    While it is impossible to discern the degree to which Christina Lamb shaped this book, the result is outstanding. Malala Yousafzai is a remarkable human being, and in the writing the combination of profound wisdom and cheeky adolescent angst is perfectly preserved. Malala is no tennis brat or spoiled and vacuous sporting superstar, Malala is a person who has reached deep into the meaning of justice and put her life at risk for it. In the face of fundamentalism, Malala has practised and, more, personified the true wisdom of her faith. I can really say that this book, and its subject-author, are nothing less than inspirational.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A wonderful memoir filled with Malala's childhood memories and those of her father's. The book is very descriptive and rich in history. I wish it had not been ghost written as it is often difficult to tell which are Malala's memories and words verses the ghost writer's. All in all, a worthwhile read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Malala does a wonderful job telling her story of growing up in the Swat Valley region of Pakistan, daughter of a very forward thinking and education advocating father. Her mother is quite traditional, yet supports both her husband and Malala in their efforts to speak against those who would take away the rights of children, especially girls, to an education. The beginning of the book covers her father's struggle against deprivation and adversity to start a school for children, then goes on to cover more of her own life story, especially her drive to do well in school and to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. I found the history and politics of Pakistan and her family's experiences to be interesting and amazing - it is enlightening to read about the rise of the Taliban and the struggles against them from a Pakistani/Pashtun point of view.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What a trooper!The book had a ghost writer, and I wondered how much was Malala and how much the ghost. Recalling her UN speech and the various interviews, I can guess that the book is 90% Malala. She is one sharp cookie, and will come into a Nobel one day soon, I'm sure! Mark my words.HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Malala is an inspiration to girls around the world. She was just an ordinary teenage girl who stood up to the Taliban to fight for her (and all the other girls) right to go to school. She was shot for speaking out but she survived. Now her message is being spread around the world.Malala's story really made me think about all the opportunities I have that I take for granted. As a woman living in America I have so much freedom and so many opportunities. Malala wasn't as fortunate as me and it was absolutely eye-opening reading her book. Reading this allowed me to see what it was like for girls like Malala and to put myself in their shoes.I would highly recommend that all woman and girls read this book. I would also suggest that this become required reading for high school students.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Although the first half of this book was rather dry historical information about Pakistan's political past, the book as a whole was very inspiring. A very young girl, so devoted to education especially for girls, is so refreshing and truly makes one a supporter of her valiant efforts.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The first half, or so, of I Am Malala is history of Swat Valley in Pakistan and politics. There's a lot to digest about the Taliban, Pakistani politics and politicians (including Benazhir Bhutto and Pervez Musharraf). There's also family history and Malala's father's dream of building a big school and educating everyone, especially girls.My main quibble with the first part is that it's hard to know whose voice is speaking, Malala's or Christina Lamb's, the co-author. It's written in a stilted style that seems to be from someone whose first language isn't English. To be fair, Malala's first language was Pashtun, not English, but this part of the book doesn't really seem to be in her voice at all.I'll be honest, as I read I kept wondering when it would get more interesting. There's so much background, I couldn't really get the feel for who Malala had been before her shooting. I didn't hear her voice. There were times when I wondered if I would recommend this book to anyone I know.But the day of the shooting came and this book took off like a racehorse. Even though it's clear that many of things written in the last part of the book are what could only have been related to Malala after she began healing.In this part, her voice rises. I began to feel Malala come through the pages telling her story of how her life changed after being shot and transferred to Birmingham, England. The last line of the book is, "I am Malala. My world has changed but I have not."A warning, there are somewhat graphic descriptions of punishments meted out by the Taliban. There are pictures, but those aren't as grim. I remain truly shocked at the inhumanity of some against others who want something different, something better.Even though I'm only giving I Am Malala 3.5 stars, I do recommend it for anyone wanting to know about this miraculous young woman and the world she lived in.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Important book!!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is the autobiography of Malala, "the girl who was shot by the Taliban", writing from the safety of England where she is recovering from her injuries. She tells a harrowing story of her home valley of Swat, Pakistan, as it is taken over by Muslim fundamentalists who attempt to stop girls from being educated (among many other similarly disturbing policies). Malala (a top student at her school) and her father (an educator who runs her school, among others) become important spokespeople in favor of educating girls, while the Taliban embark on a campaign of terror and intimidation to try to stop them. Ultimately, after murdering a number of people she knows, a terrorist comes for Malala, who is already world-famous as a spokeperson, and shoots her in the face while she is returning from a school outing.Malala is aided in her writing by a journalist, and though the book is chock full of history as well as current events, the writing doesn't always feel like it's authentically hers- I wonder how much was massaged by the journalist.This book is often read by high school students, and I can understand why- it's an inspiring story of perseverance in the face of horrible danger. Malala and her father are amazing people. As literature, though, I find the book falls short.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Actually, I'll give it 3-1/2 stars. The early part about life in Pakistan before the Taliban was marginally interesting, but the book hit its stride in her depiction of their life under Taliban control. Malala is an amazing young woman, but it is hard to write a consistently compelling narrative while still a teenager.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book is inspirational. Although I followed the story a year ago, on the news, this autobiography reveals a lot more detail, both about Malala and about the daily life in the Swat valey she lived in, and about her family.I call this an autobiography because it covers her entire life, so far, and even the history of her family and her parent's families. It covers the history of her Swat village also, going back centuries.Malala seems to have written this book with only very minor help of her co-editor, Christina Lamb, as her personality, fears, and wishes come through clearly.It seems astonishing for her parents to back her in following her dreams due to the danger those wishes entail in her situation. But then her dad seems very brave to have so persistently pushed for better education and community needs in the face of danger to the family. It is easy to see that Malala's dad is her mentor.In the last part of the book Malala restates her long term goals and one poignant wish. She wants to be remembered as the girl who fought for girls education rather than the girl shot by the Taliban. This, and many other statements throughout the book show that Malala is both on the moral high ground and much more mature than her age would indicate.Within the book Malala tells of how she became a good speaker and learned to speak three languages. It is no surprise she could write well also.With the approach of the Christmas season in the U.S, this is a good time to read a remarkable nonfiction of a person fighting for better the lives of others, especially kids, even in spite of the danger involved for her in doing so.