On October 9, 2012, Malala Yousafzai was on her way home from school in Swat Valley, Pakistan, when she was shot in the head by members of the Taliban. Though she was only fifteen years old, the Taliban targeted her because she wrote blog posts and appeared on television defending girls' right to education in Pakistan. Malala survived the attack and went on to write a book, earn a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, and meet President Barack Obama. She has become the face of the campaign for universal education and has inspired students worldwide to value their right to go to school.
Malala was well known before the attack due to her outspoken support of education, but her near death catapulted her to international recognition. Now Malala lives in the United Kingdom, gives interviews, and attends school. She also continues to receive threats from the Taliban. Read more about Malala's childhood, what she has done after surviving the Taliban attack, and why she thinks education should be available for all children everywhere.
Two well-known international human rights activists are profiled in these slim biographies. Mandela's political life is chronicled closely and chronologically, with too many dates and events encumbering the relatively brief text; Yousafzai's biography is clearer but covers the same ground as her recent memoir. These easy-to-navigate resources are most suitable for younger report writers seeking basic biographical information. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. [Review includes these Gateway Biographies titles: Malala Yousafzai and Nelson Mandela]
A cursory introduction to the Pakistani teenager who earned international attention (and a Nobel Peace Prize nomination) after surviving a Taliban gunman's assassination attempt. Doeden draws largely from Yousafzai's 2013 autobiography and a handful of news reports to craft his account. He explains how she, as the eldest daughter of a dedicated founder of girls schools in Pakistan and co-author (at the age of 11) of a personal blog sponsored by the BBC Urdu, became a public face for Muslim girls' education--and therefore a Taliban target. Silenced only temporarily by a bullet to the head in 2012, she has gone on not only to become an even more vocal advocate for equal (not to say any) education, but to challenge President Barack Obama face to face about the use of military drones in her country. It's a straightforward account geared to those who aren't ready to tackle longer, richer resources. Most of the cramped color photos, and all of the unhelpful pull quotes, serve to fill space more than anything else. A portrait of a courageous and admirable young voice for change--but no substitute for the book that is its major source. (map, endnotes, bibliography) (Biography. 10-12)
Written clearly and concisely, each biography in this series includes a list of important dates in the individual's life and source notes. Photos enhance the text and boxed insets add background information about people and events. The book on Nelson Mandela covers his birth in a South African village to his death at the age of 95 in 2013. Important events in his life are highlighted, such as his years in the African National Congress, his capture and life in prison, and his rise to the presidency. The book on Malala Yousafzai describes her life as a young Pakistani girl, the discrimination she endured as she fought to be schooled, and the work she has done to promote equal education at an international level. Bibliography. Websites. Table of Contents. Index. Teri Hennessy, Library Information Specialist, Wilmette (Illinois) Junior High School [Editor's Note: Available in e-book format.] RECOMMENDED