Book Review : 'I Am Malala.'

I Am Malala : The Girl Who Stood Up For Education and was Shot by the Taliban is a memoir written by Malala Yousufzai, co-written by Christina Lamb. Malala was only 15 when the Taliban shot her in the head on October 9th, 2011. Malala is an education advocate, girls' rights activist and the youngest person ever to receive the Noble Prize. In her book I Am Malala she describes her life as a schoolgirl before and after she was shot by the Taliban. This book also tells people how difficult it was for Malala to live under the Taliban rule.

Source : Flipkart

When Malala was shot by the Taliban, she received support and prayers from all over the world. After undergoing many surgeries, Malala finally recovered and she is living now with her family in Birmingham. Before reading her book I didn't know how incredibly brave she and her classmates were for continuing their education. Malala was inspired at a very young age and raised her voice for her rights and how her whole family supported her especially her father who played a very important role in her activism. She wrote blogs for BBC Urdu about her life in Swat Valley under the Taliban rule and when the Taliban banned girls from going to school.

Malala explains how whenever she would see some street children digging through the garbage she wanted to secure a place for them in her father's school. When the Taliban banned girls from going to school and was shutting down her school, she told a journalist, "They cannot stop me. I will get my education if it’s at home, school or somewhere else. This is our request to the world – to save our schools, save our Pakistan, save our Swat." This shows her love for education. Despite getting a lot of death threats from the Taliban, she continued to fight for the basic human right of being educated. She also shared some of her personal and interesting details like how she learned English by watching "The Ugly Betty".

Malala is a true inspiration not just for the people of her own country but for everyone in the world. She continues to fight for the right of education and keeps inspiring people by her speeches. It is worth reading Malala's book and I would recommend it for everyone. For some middle school students it might seem very difficult and lengthy to read but you can also read the "Young Readers Version."