The One Book High School Students Should Read by Sarah

The One Book High School Students Should Read by Sarah - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

You won’t find the one book I think all high school students should read before they graduate among the classics. It isn’t Shakespearean in nature, nor is it written by a middle-age Caucasian male like the vast majority of textbooks and novels students read in school. In fact, this book is quite the opposite. It was published only two years ago and was written by a sixteen year old Pakistani female who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. I Am Malala is the biography of Malala Yousafzai, a young girl who refused to give up her right to an education when the Taliban took over her valley and was shot for it. It is a story that not only allows readers a glimpse behind “enemy” lines into the lives of those directly affected by the Taliban but also one that teaches the reader how the perseverance of one person, a teenager in this case, can make a difference. It also leaves the readers with hope and dreams of possibilities, the hope for a better, safer future and the possibilities of the part one person could have in working towards that future.

Most high school students only see what is depicted by our media and government. It is a one sided view that I feel, unfortunately, promotes fear of the unknown, fear of Islam, fear of the Middle East, and fear of anyone with Middle-Eastern heritage. I Am Malala flips the viewing glass from looking at Pakistan from the outside to looking at Pakistan from the inside. No longer is it injustices happening on the other side of the world but, through the eyes of Malala, to the girl down the road, to her best friend’s brother, to her family. As we read, somewhere along the way they become our neighbors. This is a vital shift in perspective that all high school students should be exposed to. The ability to view a situation from multiple sides of the story is a skill that is invaluable as it will benefit them throughout their entire life.

Most high school students feel that there is nothing they can do to make a difference. They feel that it is an adult’s world and until they reach adulthood, no one will take them seriously. Malala felt similarly at the beginning of her story. Being a young female, she felt the Taliban wouldn’t take notice of her since they’d never set their focus on a girl before. Regardless of how she felt she continued to stand up for what she believed in by continuing to go to school despite threats she received and by speaking out about education for girls. Through her perseverance and relentless pursuit of her goals the Taliban was forced to take action and the voice they tried to silence ended up being heard not only nationally but internationally. Malala is the same age, if not younger, than our high school students, and what better way to show them that they can make a difference than through a real-life example?

Malala does not end her story with the defeat of being shot by the Taliban and having to flee her country. This is a most grievous event, to say the least, but consistently seen throughout her book is a message of hope. There is hope that she will return to her home country and hope for her people. Despite the flaws in her country’s government she still paints descriptive images layered in love for her country and dreams for the future of Pakistan. If Malala can dream and hope to the extent she does through everything she’s been through, how much more should our youth be filled with dreams and hope? The story of Malala will give students the permission to dream big again and reignite the flame of hope for actually achieving those dreams.
By the time a high school student graduates, sure we hope they know how to solve equations and read and write fluently. But more than that, we want them to be well-rounded, productive members of society. I Am Malala gives them the chance to gain world perspective that will help shape a versatile mindset. They are shown how just one person, and therefore they themselves, can make a difference on a large scale and the fear to dream big will be dismissed. Without those dreams and the perseverance to chase those dreams they may never produce the success they are capable of. Imagine the changes that could occur if all students fought for change as Malala did. If there is one book high school students should read before they graduate, it is I Am Malala.