I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers by Michelle Obama (2021)

• Obama’s motivational biography follows her life from childhood through her law career and into her life as first lady. She encourages young people to focus on the process of self-discovery and empowers them to help others and themselves.
• addresses themes of Identity and Speaking Out

Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx by Sonia Manzano (2017)

• Known for her role as Maria on Sesame Street, Manzano chronicles her childhood living with an alcoholic father, and her rise to become an inspiration for other Latina women.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947)

• Anne, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl, describes the two years she and her family spend hiding from the Nazis during World War II. A compelling story of courage.
• The Diary of a Young Girl on SuperSummary

Hidden Figures: Young Readers’ Edition by Margot Lee Shetterly (2016)

• The inspirational story of four female African American mathematicians whose work at NASA contributed to the success of the US space program. Reflects themes of Gender Equality and the Power of Education. The book was adapted for film in 2016.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood  by Marjane Satrapi (2004)

• Satrapi’s graphic memoir describes her childhood in Iraq during the Islamic Revolution.
• Persepolis on SuperSummary

Other Student Resources

The Malala Fund

• Malala’s organization works “for a world where every girl can learn and lead.” The site describes the Fund’s efforts at education advocacy and fundraising.
• The Malala Fund also works to “amplify girls’ voices” and encourage Speaking Out through its female-written digital publication, Assembly. 

“‘We Have Never Given Up’: How Afghan Women Are Demanding Their Education Under the Taliban”

• Emma Graham-Harrison’s article in The Guardian describes difficulties and dangers that girls in present-day Afghanistan now face in their struggles to receive a secondary Education. 

@Malala

• Follow Malala on her Twitter account and stay up-to-date with her advocacy for Education and Equal Rights.

Teacher Resources

He Named Me Malala (2015)

• The full-length documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim is available to buy or rent on YouTube. Rated PG-13.

Life During and After Taliban Rule

• PBS presents a brief but powerful video detailing what life for women was like during Taliban rule from 1996-2001. Prescreen for suitability.

Taliban Takeover

• PBS Frontline investigates the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Prescreen for suitability