Yousafzai, Malala and McCormick, Patricia.I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)
August 19th 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Even famous, world changing teens are still teens, and they experience the same petty irritations with their families and school that all teens experience. Malala was only ten when the Taliban took control of her native Pakistan. Of course, she was most concerned with not being able to receive her education, but she also balked at not being able to talk about Indian television programs with her friends.
I have several different biographies of Malala's life, but this memoir includes so many more details about everyday life-- clothing, food, what school is like, how annoying her brothers are-- that young readers will be able to see this influential young woman from across the world as someone who might have been their friend. This makes the horrific incident of her shooting seem closer to home. There are several pictorial inserts which are a great addition to the text, and the chapters are set up in an easy-to-follow way. There is also a timeline of historical events at the back of the book that help to fit Malala's life into the events of the world at large.
McCormick does a great job with her own books, and her young readers edition bears her distinct imprint. There are always readers who think that there should be "young readers editions", but I have to say I prefer them. Definitely, the more gruesome events are omitted, but in general I find the biggest difference to be that the text is more tightly edited, and as a result the books are more concise and coherent.
My school is considering this for its Battle of the Books list, and I think it will be a good addition.
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