I AM MALALA: THE GIRL WHO STOOD UP FOR EDUCATION AND WAS SHOT BY THE TALIBAN by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb, 2012

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. (Goodreads)

Reviewed by Katie Rice - Mama

She just won the Nobel Peace Prize for her life spent in dedication to encouraging education for girls.  She was shot by the Taliban for her efforts.  She survived and her survival has made her a global beacon.  And she's a teenager.  

You may know a little about Malala, but her story will endear you to her family and her people.  Very little in her book seems to be about being shot or victimized by the Taliban.  Much of I AM MALALA seems to be about a girl full of integrity trying to live her life as happily as she can despite her world being turned upside down.  She is forced to think outside of herself at a young age and her conclusions are simple and childlike and profound,  If you want to read a story about the stars aligning for one girl's purpose to shine though this is it.

Market: Nonfiction (adult or YA)

Language: clean

Sensuality: none

Violence: present
Mature Themes: gender inequality, taliban, politics, war