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

Consider Malala’s relationship with her parents. How does her father inspire Malala to become a champion of girls’ educational rights? In what ways is Malala similar to her father? What character traits do they share? Characterize Malala’s relationship with her mother. In what ways does her mother influence Malala? Does Malala have a closer bond to one parent over the other? Discuss.

Malala believes she—and everyone—has a basic right to education. Why is girls’ education so important to Malala? What are some of the benefits of education? In contrast, the Taliban believe that girls’ education is un-Islamic. Why do you think the Taliban want to suppress girls’ education?

Although Malala wins the Nobel Prize and receives international support and recognition for her advocacy work, she is still a teenager when she begins writing her memoir. In what ways does Malala show she is a regular teenager? What does Malala have in common with young adult readers, even those from other cultures? What narrative strategies does Malala use to connect to other teens?