Patricia McCormick Books

What an amazing true-life story told by Malala Yousafzai herself: the youngest person ever to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize! This teen edition of Malala’s memoir, I am Malala, is presented in a form suitable for secondary school children and contains extra material, a Q&A and updated discussion notes for teens. These are extremely useful in helping the reader to understand the context of the events within the book.

Malala’s story is one of courage and determination – courage to continue the fight for girls’ rights, in particular, the right to go to school, even when faced with violence and extremism. It begins in the Swat valley of Northern Pakistan, a changing Pakistan, where Malala and her family lived a normal and peaceful life. Her father runs the local school, but life changes for the family when terrorists move into their region and forbid girls to go to school. Malala disagreed with this and so began her courageous battle for the right of education for all children. This fight almost cost her life. On October 9th 2012, on the way home from school, she was shot.

The book follows her story as she wakes up in a hospital in Birmingham and after life-saving surgery, continues her mission to speak out against intolerance and extremism.

It is a story full of hope and encouragement, where the reader cannot help but feel inspired by Malala’s words and unrelenting determination to stand up for what she believes in.