I Am Malala

I joined Malala Yousafzai's Books Not Bullets campaign in July, just after I started this blog. At the time, I had not read her autobiography, but her message advocating peace through education inspired me.

After receiving a Barnes&Noble gift card for my birthday, I finally had the opportunity to buy her book, I Am Malala (along with a few other books, of course). I just finished reading it after completing a slew of books for school.

Ever since my childhood, I have loved fiction, especially fantasy. My mom read the entire Chronicles of Narnia out loud to my brother and I one summer. To this day, no series brings me more joy than that of Harry Potter. I adore Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle, and I memorized all the Greek gods and goddesses when I read Percy Jackson in middle school. When I took a nonfiction English class last year, I worried that I would not experience the same connection to nonfiction books.

Although fantasy and fiction will always provide an escape, I found a new joy in the nonfiction genre. It is inspirational to read about people who change the world without the power of a wand or a secret wardrobe.

I Am Malala does just that. Malala is an 18-year-old girl, just like me. We both like to read, we argue with our friends, and we are passionate about education. And yet, we are worlds apart. While I drag my feet to complete the second semester of my senior year, Malala fights for girls who risk their lives to attend school. She nearly died after being shot by the Taliban, simply for attending school. At age 17, she became the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, joining the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Blessed Mother Teresa.

My accomplishments may pale in comparison to Malala's, but she inspires me to be me. I want to stand up for my religion, my belief in education, and my belief in equality for women worldwide. Books and education can be a vehicle for bettering this world, a key to the pursuit of the common good.

Even though fiction can transport me away from this world (I would give anything to be Hermione Granger), nonfiction proves the power I hold on my own, sans wands and spells, can move mountains. And that is a lovely feeling.