On October 9, 2012, Pakistani 15-year-old, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the face by a masked member of the Taliban because she had previously campaigned for the right to education for girls and women. Miraculously, after undergoing many surgeries and months of recovery, she bravely returned to being an advocate for the right to equal educational opportunities. Since then, Malala has given speeches, spoken with the media and written “I Am Malala.” Two years later (almost to the day) Malala won the Nobel Peace Prize.

This year at Abington High School, Principal Sullivan is encouraging the entire school community to read “I Am Malala.” Reading it helps you understand how hard it is for the Pakistani people to live under the influence of the Taliban.

In the book, Malala describes her life as a schoolgirl before and after the incident. For the reader, the parts that stick out most are when Malala speaks about the many death threats she received, what she did to avoid falling prey to the Taliban and the aftermath of her shooting. These parts can become emotional, but they get your mind thinking about how one small, though very brave, act can change your life and the lives of the people around you.  She describes the killings of innocent citizens in remarkably graphic detail, expressing her disgust with the situation.  The book also includes some very powerful pictures that show just how bad things became in the Swat Valley (her home in Pakistan) at that time.

Malala has been a true inspiration for  people, not just from her own country, but all around the world. She continues to fight for women’s education and influences more people with each speech and appearance. She, and her family, live in Birmingham, England.