I am Malala on Vimeo.
I am Malala | Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb | Pakistan
Back Bay Books | 2015 | ISBN: 0316322423
Synopsis
I am Malala tells the true story of Malala Yousafzai, the fifteen year old girl in Swat who was shot in the head by the Tailban. She tells her story in memoir style, beginning with her family history. Her father, Ziauddin, was a teacher and dreamed of opening his own school, where anyone could be educated. A strong influence on Malala, Ziauddin began to speak out when the Taliban began to come to power in Swat, a region that is now a part of Pakistan.
As a student, Malala excelled in school and became an advocate for her own education. When the Taliban came to her region, her dad’s school began to face troubles and slowly it became more and more dangerous for Malala to attend school. Eventually, the Taliban banned all girls from going to school and Malala had to stop. When the Taliban were “defeated”, girls were allowed to return to school, and Malala began to speak out publicly and became renowned as a defender of education for all people. Even though the Taliban were out of power, it still had a strong presence is Swat and lots of loyal followers. One day, on her way home from school, Taliban soldiers boarded the bus she was on and shot her point blank in the head. Many did not expect Malala to survive, however, she did and she wrote this book and became the youngest nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rationale for Use in the English Classroom
I am Malala would be an excellent book to use in the English classroom as a memoir study. It is extremely well written and relatable for teens. As Malala was a teenager when she wrote her memoir, the language used is appealing to students. It is a true story and an interesting study in nonfiction, yet the plot moves swiftly and freely and it reads almost like a novel. Students are familiar with the Taliban and their reign, yet many are unfamiliar with the history of the region of Swat Valley, and how the Taliban also affected Muslims. I Am Malala is an engaging, informative text that would be a great addition to any English classroom.
Before/During/After Reading Activities
Before reading, have students research where the Swat Valley is located on a blank map of Pakistan. Many students will be unfamiliar with the area and it is necessary to understand the geography for complete understanding of the novel.
During reading, students will complete a character t-shirt about Malala as they read using the following scholastic lesson idea, http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonplans/unit_characteranalysis_charactertshirt.pdf.
After reading, students will read the following article, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-pakistanis-swat-valley-malalas-peace-prize-seen-as-slap-at-taliban/2014/10/10/66447b18-5063-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html, and will answer the following question in a one page essay: “Was Malala right in speaking out? Why or why not?”
Connections to Other Content Areas
I Am Malala is an historical memoir would work in any World History class, and provides an interesting look at modern history and the Taliban. It would also be good in a World Religions course and an in-detail study on Islam. There is a rich discussion in the novel about the history of different sects of Islam. It would work phenomenally as a supplemental novel.
