For the Right to Learn by Rebecca Langston-George (Capstone, September 2015) is a picture book biography of Malala Yousafzai that gives younger readers a background of just what she was able to accomplish. I’ve said before that her story is inspiring, and I think this book did a great job of also making it accessible to young kids.
This picture book is for middle- and upper-elementary children both because the text is dense on each page (4-7 sentences on each two-page spread) but also because the concepts of discrimination and violence against girls who want to go to school are such a deep concept for the very young to grasp. The vibrant digital illustrations give added dimension to the concepts Malala faced. Children may be fascinated with the difficulties around the globe for children like themselves. With the combination of vibrant illustrations (some of them featuring Pakistani writing) and an intriguing story, children will keep reading!
I asked my son, age 7 and soon-to-be a 3rd grader, what he thought of the book. He was impressed that she was still a child doing the things she did, although when he saw her photo in the back of the book he said, “Well, she looks like a grown-up!”
How often do we take our chance to get an education for granted?
Note: I received a digital copy of this book for review consideration.
