Title: Malala’s Magic Pencil

Author: Malala Yousafzai

Illustrator: Kerascoët

Summary:

Growing up in Pakistan, Malala used to watch a show about a boy and a magic pencil. Whatever he needed at the moment, he could draw with his pencil and it would magically appear. Malala began to wish for her own magic pencil, she could draw extra time to sleep in the morning, dresses for her mom, a soccer ball to play with. One day, when Malala was throwing out trash at the dump near her house, she noticed a girl and two boys sorting through the trash piles at the dump. Her father told her that not all girls get to go to school and some boys have to work to support their families. Malala began to imagine using the magic pencil to draw a better world with no war or poverty or hunger. Instead of continuing to wish for a magic pencil, Malala focused on working hard in school. However, powerful and dangerous men soon declared that girls weren’t allowed to go to school anymore. She started to write about how she felt scared to walk to school and how her friends moved away because they felt threatened. People started to listen and Malala was able to share her story with an international newspaper. Malala’s voice has continued to grow louder and every day she fights to make the world a more peaceful place.

Curriculum Connections:

Courage

World events

Biography

Perseverance