In a work this personal and important, it’s vital to utilize a reader who engages the listener and renders an authentic interpretation of the writer, both physically and emotionally. Neela Vaswani does this admirably. She sounds like Westerners would imagine Malala Yousafzai, now slightly older than when we first heard of her, would sound. Malala is the Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban when she spoke out in favor of girls going to school. Vaswani’s Indian accent is far from overpowering, and her diction is crisp and easy on the ear. Her cadence also adds to the realism of the reading. While the book is aimed at young adults, adult listeners should find equal pleasure in this book. R.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Narrator Archie Panjabi is an excellent choice to deliver this memoir of the Pakistani girl who stood up to the Taliban. Her voice is youthful, lilting, and buoyant, invoking the key qualities of the now well-known young woman who, at the age of 15, was shot three times in the face by the Taliban because she actively advocated education for girls. Panjabi narrates with vigor; rapid sentences and warm tones evoke Malala's persona. The listener has the feeling of being told this story by Malala herself rather than by an actor, which is the best type of audiobook. Those who want to hear more about Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Swat Valley, or the family behind this courageous young person will not be disappointed. M.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

★ 08/25/2014
Adapted with McCormick (Never Fall Down) from the adult bestseller, this inspiring memoir by activist Yousafzai sketches her brave actions to champion education in Pakistan under the Taliban. Her father runs a school in the Swat Valley, where Malala proves an eager student; as the Taliban gains influence, she increasingly becomes an international spokesperson for girls' right to learn. The narrative begins with a prologue in which a Taliban gunman boards her school bus and asks, "Who is Malala?" The authors then offer insight into the cultural and political events leading up to the shooting that followed and Yousafzai's dramatic recovery. Yousafzai highlights the escalating tensions as the Taliban takes hold—including the strictures against girls attending school, the obliteration of Western influence, violence, and the eventual war—but also brings the universal to life as she quarrels with her brothers, treasures her best friend, and strives to earn top grades. A glossary, color photo inserts, and an extensive timeline help establish context. It's a searing and personal portrait of a young woman who dared to make a difference. Ages 10–up. (Aug.)

Praise for I Am Malala:
A 2015 Amelia Bloomer Project List Selection
A CBC 2015 Children's Choice Book Awards Finalist

*"A searing and personal portrait of a young woman who dared to make a difference."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"This is no simple redaction. With the capable assistance of co-author McCormick, the account has been effectively rewritten specifically for children...[I]t should pack quite a wallop."—Kirkus Reviews

"Although her efforts to attend school, and the subsequent attack she endured, make for a powerful story, Yousafzai writes just as vividly about her daily life as a child in Pakistan.... Yousafzai's fresh, straightforward voice creates an easily read narrative that will introduce a slew of younger readers to both her story and her mission."—Booklist

[Yousafzai's] strong voice and ideals come across on every page, emphasizing how her surroundings and supportive family helped her become the relevant figure she is today....—SLJ

01/01/2015
Gr 6 Up—In this young readers edition of Yousafzai's best-selling memoir, the Nobel Peace Prize winner retells her experiences at home and at school and discusses the impact of the Taliban presence in Pakistan. Her strong voice and ideals come across on every page, emphasizing how her surroundings and supportive family helped her become the relevant figure she is today. Yousafzai highlights the importance of school and how it was the only space where she felt empowered. Although at times the transitions between personal accounts and historical background feel abrupt, Yousafzai effectively summarizes her story and her advocacy for girls' education, peace, and human rights. Above all, she stresses that she doesn't want to be known as the girl shot by the Taliban but rather as a young person who actively fought for education. A strong addition to social studies, history, and biography collections.—Sujei Lugo, Somerville Public Library, MA

Narrator Archie Panjabi is an excellent choice to deliver this memoir of the Pakistani girl who stood up to the Taliban. Her voice is youthful, lilting, and buoyant, invoking the key qualities of the now well-known young woman who, at the age of 15, was shot three times in the face by the Taliban because she actively advocated education for girls. Panjabi narrates with vigor; rapid sentences and warm tones evoke Malala's persona. The listener has the feeling of being told this story by Malala herself rather than by an actor, which is the best type of audiobook. Those who want to hear more about Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Swat Valley, or the family behind this courageous young person will not be disappointed. M.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

2014-08-19
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen shot for her activism for girls' education, tells her story for a middle-grade audience.Although billed as a "young readers edition" of Yousafzai's 2013 book of the same name for adults, co-written with Christina Lamb, the designation does the book a disservice, as this is no simple redaction. With the capable assistance of co-author McCormick, the account has been effectively rewritten specifically for children. The story is straightforward, related chronologically and covering Yousafzai's growth in activism, her shooting and her recovery in England. Yousafzai's voice is appealingly youthful, though it often tells rather than shows and frequently goes over the top: In her school, she writes, "we flew on wings of knowledge." Still, young Western readers will come to understand the gulf that separates them from Yousafzai through carefully chosen anecdotes, helping them see what drives her to such lyrical extremes. Unfortunately, much is lost in the translation from the adult book, presumably sacrificed for brevity and directness; most lamentable is social and political context. Although readers will come away with a good understanding of Yousafzai's immediate experiences, the geopolitical forces that shape her culture go largely unmentioned except in a closing timeline that amounts to a dizzying list of regime changes. Though Yousafzai's memoir never transcends her story, that story is a powerful and inspiring one; supplemented by contextualizing information, it should pack quite a wallop. (glossary) (Memoir. 10-14)