Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education – book review

Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education
by Raphaele Frier
Illustrated by Aurelia Fronty
Release Date:  February 7, 2017
Publisher:  Charlesbridge Publishing
Stand Alone children’s book
Number of pages:  48
Kindle Edition
Source: ARC from Net Galley
Biography/Children’s
Rating: PG
Read 1/30/17

This is a great book for all ages.  From all I can find, it is classified for grades 1-4 and ages 6-9.  Let me clarify that I gave this a PG rating due to the violence against Malala Yousafzai and others.  Not all kids are emotionally ready to read this on their own so it’s always a good idea for a parent or teacher to read these types of books before handing them over to the kids.

What a wonderful book for a teacher to read to a class.  There are many words and circumstances younger children will not understand that present perfect teaching opportunities.  From what I could see (unfortunately I read this on a Kindle paperwhite so I did not get to view the whole scope of the illustrations and photographs) it is a beautiful book.  The first half has Malala’s story and wonderful illustrations to help draw the kids in.  The last half is more facts on Malala (who is her inspiration, awards she’s won, etc.) with photos of her and her family. 

This is a book that could help younger kids start to understand that it’s okay to stand up for what they believe in even if it’s not the norm.  It’s a wonderful book for older kids to spark their interest in Malala’s story.  Listed at the end are other books, videos, and websites where they can continue to learn more about Malala and what she stands for.

I will definitely be recommending this to my teacher friends and my younger nieces.  It seems especially relevant right now.  I would strongly recommend going with the hardcover book instead of the Kindle edition to greater appreciate all this book has to offer.

4 stars

**I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review**