Book Discussion Guide

I Am Malala: The Girl who was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yusafzal and Christina Lamb

I Am Malala is the incredible true autobiography of a young Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai, who won the Noble Peace prize for fearlessly standing up for education in the face of the Taliban. She was shot in the head after refusing to back down from demanding for her right to an education. She survived and went on to become one of the world’s greatest champions of education, particularly for girls and young women around the world. You will be moved and inspired by her unbelievable journey to prove how one how one determined little girl really can change the world. Your family will love to read this together or independently. You will learn about the political unrest in the northern rural regions of Pakistan and the surrounding Taliban ruled areas. You will also learn how the power of family can be victorious even against the likes of terrorism.

Questions To Talk About
While Reading

Vocabulary

It's important to make sure that your child has an understanding of key words in the book. Talking about words while reading is a great way for your child to learn new words.

In this book, you might talk about these words:

bazaar (pg. 3)
commiserated (pg. 13)
rubbish (pg. 17)
frugality (pg. 37)
stillborn (pg. 53)
military dictatorships (pg. 75)
drone (pg. 120)
civilians (pg. 131)
abolish (pg. 139)
burqa (pg. 156)
ailments (pg. 174)
ridiculed (pg. 213)
mourning (pg. 224)
reprehensible (pg. 265)

You might use a question like:

How can you use the context clues to determine the meaning of the word reprehensible? What are some of the reprehensible acts that take place in this book?

Key Ideas and Themes

In addition to words, it's important to talk about key ideas and themes and how they develop over the course of the book.

Here are some examples to get you started:

1
In Malala’s address to the United Nations, she states, “Education is education. We should learn everything and then choose which path to follow. Education is neither Eastern nor Western, it is human.” How does Malala’s educational experience compare with your own? In what ways was school and learning for Malala similar or different from your own? How do you think students in your school view their own right to education? How does this compare with Malala’s perspective? Why do some people want to prevent girls from getting a formal education?
2
What were some of the things you learned about Pashtun culture or tradition? Did any surprise you? Which did you find unique and why? What American traditions might surprise someone from the Swat Valley? Are there any similarities you share in culture or tradition?
3
In what ways was Malala’s father an equally important factor in supporting Malala to become a global symbol of women’s rights, peaceful protest, and education?
4
What were some of the greatest driving factors in Malala’s miraculous recovery? What gave her the strength to not only get better but become such a powerful voice in the fight for education?
5
What are some of the historical events included in this book that help explain how the Taliban came to power in the Swat Valley? How was the United States involved before and after September 11, 2001?
6
Malala is clearly an incredibly strong and remarkable human being, but she is still just a young girl like any other teenager. In what ways is Malala just like you or the other young people you know? How does she serve as a role model for other young people who have a passionate belief in something? What are some lessons young people can take and apply to pursuing their own cause like Malala?

Extra Activities

1
In the beginning of this book, Malala dedicates her story “To all the girls who have faced injustice and been silenced. Together we will be heard.” Research some of the women who have also won the Noble Peace Prize in the past. What were their missions and how did they fight for justice for women and girls worldwide?