I Am Malala: A Reflection

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai is a book that was recommended to me by many people online. I've seen many people write reviews of it and it immediately caught my interest. I had been interested in the book to begin with and wanted to educate myself further on the topic of the Taliban and what exactly is going on in the countries they are terrorizing.

I feel that the book's strengths lie in its perspective--reading such wise words coming from a girl my age was inspiring and truly moves the reader towards wanting to help. In America, kids normally see education and school as a burden, a place we don't want to go every day. To Malala, school is a dream come true. It sheds light on how lucky we are to have education readily available to us every day and makes you realize how grateful you truly are for being able to go to school.

However, I feel that there could have been more detail in the writing style. The way the book is written makes the reader feel as though they are listening to the story, and aren't much a part of it. The beginning of the story was slow, as it went over much of Pakistan's history (however, it's necessary to know later in the story). Overall I felt a better job could have been done to entice the reader and get them to want to read further.

The strengths of the book definitely outshine the weaknesses. I loved reading Malala's inspiring story and it makes me happy that she continues to speak out against talibanization, yet she still remains humble. The book made me realize how little, in America, we learn about the Middle East and maybe that's why there are so many misconceptions about Islam and their way of life. All in all, I would rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars because of the courage it took to write and the inspiration it brings to its readers.

I would recommend I Am Malala to everyone I meet if I could. Awareness of the issues highlighted in this book are vital to the effort in stopping the Taliban. I would especially recommend the book to any close-minded person that believes the stereotypes set against Muslims and their culture. I feel that any person that loves inspiring stories about young people overcoming extreme struggles would love I Am Malala; it is definitely worth the read.

My Reaction to Family Life

Personally, I felt that Family Life by Akhil Sharma was a really good read. I loved that the author took a tragic situation and transformed it into something that wound up benefitting himself and his family in the longrun. Sharma did an excellent job of writing from the point of view of a child, which is something that most authors tend to stray from. I felt that it was interesting to learn about one family's struggle, not only with a tragedy, but also trying to get along in America with said tragedy as Indian immigrants. The road certainly wasn't paved for them and they had difficult times but managed to get through them together for which they should be commended. I found that the pace of the novel wasn't too fast or too slow, and that the reader could easily pay attention to and become interested in the content they are reading. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about a family's struggle to stay together.

The Books of My Life

Book that I Recommend to Friends: Seconds
By Bryan Lee O'Malley

Seconds is about a talented young chef named Katie who owns a popular restaurant named Seconds. She is doing so well with her first restaurant that she plans on opening another one, named Katie's in a busier part of town. One day, Katie finds that there is a house spirit living in her apartment, and when she investigates the dresser that the spirit lives in, she finds a little red capped mushroom and a notepad that tells her to write down her mistake, eat a mushroom, and go to sleep. She tries it for fun and finds that she can fix any mistake she has made in life. She starts using them willy-nilly until she learns that it has dire consequences. I recommend Seconds to my friends because it's cute and also very funny. 

Character that I Identify With:The Bell Jar
by Sylvia Plath

The main character in Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, Esther Greenwood, is the character that I find that I can identify with. Esther is a young college girl who takes her studies very seriously and strives to be the best writer she can be. She earns many achievements and awards and has everything going for her, except one day she wakes up and finds that she can't read or write. After a while trying to get herself to read and write, she decides that there's no point for her to live anymore and attempts suicide. She then gets sent to a mental institution where she is treated with shock therapy for her depression. I find that I identify with Esther in that she's a young girl with huge dreams that is held back by depression.

Celeb or Historical Memoir I Admire: I Am Malala

by Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai is living proof that young people can stand up and fight for their rights and be taken seriously. Because we learn so little about the Middle East in school, I felt that this book has taught me more about the culture and various forms of religion the people of Pakistan are exposed to every day that America is so afraid to learn about. Malala incorporates the history of her homeland, leading up to how and why the Taliban got into power and tried to take her life. She is an inspiration for young girls all over the world and empowers them to stand up for their rights to an education.

Favorite Book Read for School: Night

by Elie Wiesel

Everyone can learn something from Elie Wiesel. I feel that Night is a must-read because of the lasting message it has on society today. What Elie tries to convey through his experience is that no one should remain silent in the face of injustice. I feel that this is the perfect book to read in school, because it teaches the next generation about what happens when good people do nothing. I enjoyed reading this novel and I reccommend it to anyone who's interested in peoples' historical experiences.

 

 

Favorite Childhood Book: Corduroy

by Don Freemann



 





My favorite book to read as a child was definitely about the bear that was missing a button on his overalls. A little girl named Lisa finds Corduroy in a store window, but her mother won't let her buy him because of his missing button. After the store closes, Corduroy sets out on an adventure to find a button but fails when a security guard finds him and places him back in the window. The story has a happy ending when Lisa comes back and buys Corduroy, takes him home, and sews a button on his overalls. As a child I loved reading this book, often making my mom read it to me over and over! I highly reccommend it to children.