LitPick Review
Malala Yousafzai: Warrior with Words by Karen Leggett Abouraya is a biography of Malala’s life as she fights for the rights for girls all over the world to be able to go to school and receive education.
At the young age of ten, Malala experienced dissent caused by Taliban leaders who declared that girls should no longer go to school. Her father was her principal and he learned quickly of the seriousness of the situation once his school for girls was closed. The Taliban was then enforcing rules of which her family could not adhere, so they left their village and moved to her father’s birthplace. Malala then created a blog under a pseudonym to speak out for girls’ rights. She touted that a powerful voice would reign over violence against girls. And when Malala turned 15 years-old, she was shot in the side of the head by a man from the Taliban who boarded her school bus. Malala was seriously injured The world prayed for her recovery. And still,Malala was not to be stopped. Even after her recovery, she used her voice to tell the world that girls were strong and powerful and could make positive changes in their lives.
At the age of 17, Malala earned the Nobel Peace Prize-one of the most prestigious awards in the world. With her outspoken voice and her bravery, she formed the Malala fund for girls and encouraged girls to use their own voices to make a difference.
Opinion:
I enjoyed reading Malala Yousafzai: Warrior of Words. The author, Karen Leggett Abouraya, provides a timeline of Malala’s life to illustrate her bravery during a lifetime of discrimination against girls and women by the Taliban. Her humanitarian efforts provide education for young girls throughout the world and are applauded and rewarded. Each page holds a short summary of her life, highlighting her reasons for wanting change. It is easy to read and understand. Best of all, the collages by Susan L. Roth illustrate Malala’s love for pink and bright colors amidst the darkest of times for people living in Pakistan.
