I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

Prologue-Chapter 3

Reading Check

1. Midnight (Prologue)

2. A stutter (Chapter 2)

3. The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (Chapter 3)

Short Answer

1. When Malala is born, no one congratulates her father because the birth of a daughter is not seen as a reason to celebrate. Furthermore, one of Malala’s father’s cousins comes over with a family tree, depicting only the men of the family. (Chapter 1)

2. Malala’s father changed when he met his wife, Malala’s mother. Through Malala’s mother’s family, he became interested in education and going to school. (Chapter 2)

Chapters 4-8

Reading Check

1. Baba (Chapter 4)

2. Stealing (Chapter 5)

3. Mufti (Chapter 7)

Short Answer

1. Malala’s cousins used to make fun of her for her “city ways.” Unlike her cousins, Malala wore shoes; she read books; she even had a different accent. While Malala liked to read for fun, Malala’s cousins liked to play make-believe marriage. Some of Malala’s cousins get angry at Malala’s father because he does not force Malala to wear a traditional Muslim face covering. Malala’s spirited, curious nature shows in this chapter; she has always been passionate about education and she does not shy away from conflict. (Chapter 4)

2. Malala’s father usually gives away free spots in his school to poor children, even at the risk of having wealthier students removed from the school. He also cares deeply about saving the environment; he writes poetry about provocative topics. (Chapter 6)

Chapters 9-11

Reading Check

1. Malala describes the Taliban as having long straggly hair, beards, and camo vests over their shalwar kamiz (Chapter 9)

2. A Buddha (Chapter 10)

3. Moniba and Malka-e-Noor (Chapter 11)

Short Answer

1. When Fazlullah warned that people should stop participating in “sinful acts” like listening to music, watching TV, and dancing, they threw away their DVDs, CDs, and TVs. People believed that Fazlullah was a kind of Robin Hood figure. (Chapter 9)

2. Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani political leader; she chaired the Pakistan People’s Party starting in the early 1980s. Malala looks up to Bhutto. Bhutto is one of the only leaders brave enough to speak out against the Taliban militants. Bhutto was, unfortunately, killed in an attack in 2007, and Malala is devastated. (Chapter 10)

Chapters 12-15

Reading Check

1. Dead bodies (Chapter 12)

2. Cornflower (Chapter 13)

3. Internationally Displaced Persons (Chapter 15)

Short Answer

1. As “Gul Makai,” Malala begins to realize the true power of words. She begins to see that “the pen and the words that come from it” can be so much more powerful than military force. Through her correspondence with the BBC, she is chipping away at the power of the Taliban. (Chapter 13)

2. Fazlullah had banned education for all girls. However, in Chapter 14, he lifts the ban for girls 10 years of age and younger. Therefore, Malala pretends to be younger, so that she may attend school.

Chapters 16-20

Reading Check

1. She asks for backpay, for the time they were away from Swat Valley. (Chapter 16)

2. Malala’s aunt (Chapter 18)

3. He changes his routine to make it difficult for Taliban radicals to track him.

Short Answer

1. Malala wishes to be tall because it is easier to be authoritative when tall. This desire shows that she is a natural leader; she seeks to be a powerful authority. (Chapter 17)

2. Malala is obsessing about grades and her studies. On the day she is shot, she exits the school with friends and boards a bus. The man starts shouting, asking which one is Malala; he proceeds to shoot her and two of her friends. The last thing she remembers thinking is the revision she needed to do on one of her assignments the next day. (Chapter 20)

Chapter 21-Epilogue

Reading Check

1. “God, I entrust her to You” (Chapter 21)

2. They have trouble getting a passport to travel internationally to see her. (Chapter 22)

3. Urdu (Chapter 23)

Short Answer

1. She relates to the adventures of Dorothy, who—just like her—finds herself very suddenly far from home. What’s more, just like Dorothy, Malala has to overcome many obstacles to reach her goals. (Chapter 24)

2. When Malala’s father finds out Malala has been shot, he rushes to her side. He bemoans that the Taliban have taken away his soulmate; he wonders how he can live without his daughter. He worries that the Taliban has stolen Malala’s smile, but due to her immense love for her father and her passion for life—Malala perseveres. (Chapter 21-Epilogue)