I am Malala

Grace and I are reading the memoir novel, I am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai. The book is about the life of a young girl, Malala, who lives in Swat Valley, Pakistan and fights against the Taliban for girls' education. Malala raised her voice and protested when the Taliban tried to stop women from attending school. At age 15, she was on her way home from class when the Taliban came and shot her. Even with the injuries, Malala survived and wrote about her life in a book. 

 The idea around her story is that people should not feel oppressed from fear of a greater power, but rather speak out against their wrongdoings to promote for the good of many. 

Map of where Swat Valley is

In Pakistan, the men in the household were superior to the women. Even the sons could tell their mother what to do just because of their gender. Women were not allowed to leave to house without a man's company. 

Consulting a women with your problems was considered weak and unwise, and most women in Pakistan were illiterate and did not go to school But despite the fact that the society demotes women's rights, Malala is a free bird. 

She was exposed to the importance of education at an early age. Her father started a school, and taught her how much her education mattered.

So even when the Taliban tried to stop women from going to school, Malala stepped up and fought back. Even when they attacked her, she didn't step down. Malala didn't even let getting shot break her and the fact that she wrote this book to spread awareness proves it. She didn't give up, just like how when people try to bring you down, you should be strong and push forward. Don't give people the power to tell you what to do.

“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced." -Malala

One personal connection that I have made is that I shouldn't take my education for granted. I know that I am very blessed to be able to go to school without any trouble while in other countries, girls are risking their lives just to get an education.

Read my partners blog because you should: http://gracetangsreadingblog.blogspot.com/

The Phantom Tollbooth

Book Cover

The Phantom Tollbooth is a weird book. However, it has pictures which are very enjoyable!

The Phantom Tollbooth features a young boy named Milo. Milo is bored. He's so very extremely bored. When he is in school he wants out, when he is out he wants in. One day he comes home and finds a package that contains a tollbooth. Through the tollbooth he is taken to the Lands Beyond, a strange, make-believe place full of mysteries and riddles. He travels around in a little car.

Milo and his little car

He then meets a dog name Tock, a literal watchdog, who goes on a quest with him to go rescue the two princesses, Rhyme and Reason. They are also accompanied with another character, the Humbug. 

The Dodecahedron

On the journey the trio encounters many unique, unusual characters, some helpful, most not. They meet characters such as The Dodecahedron, a man with 12 faces, Alec Bings, a boy who floats, and the Soundkeeper, who keeps all sound from the valley the traveled to. They even encounter demons, which I think is terrifying, because a) the demons in the pictures are absolutely horrific, and b) these demons try to trick you into staying with them forever.

This demon reminds me of slenderman

In the end the three do indeed rescue the fair princesses. Milo returns to the real world, promising to return, excited for the many adventures to come. He realizes how unboring (not a word, but who gives?) the world actually is, and decides that he would not go for another trip in the tollbooth because there is just so much to do. (And then he will reach highschool, when he will barely be able to do anything but homework. Just kidding.)

Despite my poor description of the book I highly recommend it if you are looking for something different. It is literally a book of puns, certainly making it a unique piece of literature that is extremely enjoyable. The humor is witty and delivered in a way that reminds me of riddles. There is so much use of figurative language it sort of just blows your mind. Just kidding. But seriously it does. The Phantom Tollbooth such an easy book to read, you fly through it without even realizing the time. Haha, get it? Because Tock is a watchdog who should be helping you keep track of time but since the book Tock is in is so awesome you lose track of time. (I'm not funny but you should laugh anyways because I tried really hard.) Anyways definitely read it when you get the chance!