I Am Malalia for rising 6th graders

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Malala's magic pencil was one of the picture books nominated for a state book award. My students were inspired by her story

I just finished reading Malalas Magic Pencil with my 7 year old. It’s wonderful and inspiring for kids that age. And it mentions how Malala started her advocacy at age 10 - so younger than OPs daughter.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:That book is not about suicide, its about survival and equal rights for women / girls to be educated.

Its really important and its not depressing.

It's not about suicide. It's about a child being shot in the face and left for dead for trying to get an education. I get the 'trying to get an education' part but do we really have to let our pre-pubescent kids think about a kid being shot in the face on a bus and left for dead? Why can't we find other examples and save the horror of life for later?

Yeah, for 9th grade when their schoolmate brings a rifle to high school and starts shooting at random.
Bitch, please! In this country, in particular, it's a travesty to pretend people -- and children -- don't get shot.

A lot of people are becoming concerned about the effects of lock down drills on children. Why shove it down their throats with a book like this? What value does it add to the idea that not everyone has easy access to a good education?

The value added: importance of education, appreciation for your freedom, female empowerment, perseverance, geopolitical dynamics, ....

I'm asking, what is the added value of having the main character be shot in the face and left for dead? Can't we teach our young people about the value of education without including something like that? I can think of many ways to do that, including discussing how kids in inner cities and low-income rural areas right here america are struggling to get an education.

“The main character”?! It’s an autobiography FFS.

We will be lucky if our kids have 1/100th of her grit. She's inspirational. Let her inspire your kid.

The fact that the PP think it's a fictional story tells me a lot about them.

Maybe you should read the book too and have a conversation about Malala's story. Be open to learning instead of preemptively deciding your precious baby couldn't learn and be inspired

I know it's not a novel. I realize it's autobiographical. I know she has grit and determination. I know she won the nobel prize.

My point is that a child reading about a child being shot in the face and left to die is disturbing. I don't think an 11 year old, who is learning about the world, should think about something like that. They have plenty to learn, and plenty of time to learn it.

When I was a kid, we didn't know about things like that at 11. We also didn't have suicide and depression rampant in high school. Protecting your children's emotional and psychological well being is part of being a good parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I know it's not a novel. I realize it's autobiographical. I know she has grit and determination. I know she won the nobel prize.

My point is that a child reading about a child being shot in the face and left to die is disturbing. I don't think an 11 year old, who is learning about the world, should think about something like that. They have plenty to learn, and plenty of time to learn it.

When I was a kid, we didn't know about things like that at 11. We also didn't have suicide and depression rampant in high school. Protecting your children's emotional and psychological well being is part of being a good parent.

Who's "we"? I did. So did lots of other 11-year-olds, most notably the ones who live where things like that happen.

You know what I didn't know about at 11? Active-shooter drills in schools.

(It's not autobiographical. It's an autobiography.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD read “I am Malala” in third grade, as did other kids I know.

I don't think most eight year olds are ready for this level of emotional intensity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I know it's not a novel. I realize it's autobiographical. I know she has grit and determination. I know she won the nobel prize.

My point is that a child reading about a child being shot in the face and left to die is disturbing. I don't think an 11 year old, who is learning about the world, should think about something like that. They have plenty to learn, and plenty of time to learn it.

When I was a kid, we didn't know about things like that at 11. We also didn't have suicide and depression rampant in high school. Protecting your children's emotional and psychological well being is part of being a good parent.

Who's "we"? I did. So did lots of other 11-year-olds, most notably the ones who live where things like that happen.

You know what I didn't know about at 11? Active-shooter drills in schools.

(It's not autobiographical. It's an autobiography.)

Seriously. At 9 I was writing President Reagan letters to ask him to please not nuke the world and make friends with the Russians. I read "Night" at 10, because it was laying around the house. None of that scarred me - shaped me, yes. Hurt me, no. My son, now 13, is a reluctant reader and he will only read things that make him FEEL something, and care about something. He loved The Hate U Give and The Hunger Games because they are stories of young people fighting injustice. It makes small people feel hopeful that they can have agency in the light of injustice, and they'll see injustice everywhere they look as tweens, whether it is just that their brother got to stay up later.

[Anonymous]

I read a lot of Holocaust historical fiction in 4th/5th grade. I don’t really see the difference here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I think this is totally appropriate

Agree. My 6th Fraser is also reading this book at her private school. The thought of it being inappropriate never crossed my mind when I saw it on the book list for this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I know it's not a novel. I realize it's autobiographical. I know she has grit and determination. I know she won the nobel prize.

My point is that a child reading about a child being shot in the face and left to die is disturbing. I don't think an 11 year old, who is learning about the world, should think about something like that. They have plenty to learn, and plenty of time to learn it.

When I was a kid, we didn't know about things like that at 11. We also didn't have suicide and depression rampant in high school. Protecting your children's emotional and psychological well being is part of being a good parent.

Who's "we"? I did. So did lots of other 11-year-olds, most notably the ones who live where things like that happen.

You know what I didn't know about at 11? Active-shooter drills in schools.

(It's not autobiographical. It's an autobiography.)

+1. Not to mention, PP's implied link between reading of autobiographies and increased mental illness rates makes no sense and is unsupported.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That book is not about suicide, its about survival and equal rights for women / girls to be educated.

Its really important and its not depressing.

It's not about suicide. It's about a child being shot in the face and left for dead for trying to get an education. I get the 'trying to get an education' part but do we really have to let our pre-pubescent kids think about a kid being shot in the face on a bus and left for dead? Why can't we find other examples and save the horror of life for later?

Yeah, for 9th grade when their schoolmate brings a rifle to high school and starts shooting at random.
Bitch, please! In this country, in particular, it's a travesty to pretend people -- and children -- don't get shot.

A lot of people are becoming concerned about the effects of lock down drills on children. Why shove it down their throats with a book like this? What value does it add to the idea that not everyone has easy access to a good education?

The value added: importance of education, appreciation for your freedom, female empowerment, perseverance, geopolitical dynamics, ....

I'm asking, what is the added value of having the main character be shot in the face and left for dead? Can't we teach our young people about the value of education without including something like that? I can think of many ways to do that, including discussing how kids in inner cities and low-income rural areas right here america are struggling to get an education.

“The main character”?! It’s an autobiography FFS.

We will be lucky if our kids have 1/100th of her grit. She's inspirational. Let her inspire your kid.

The fact that the PP think it's a fictional story tells me a lot about them.

Maybe you should read the book too and have a conversation about Malala's story. Be open to learning instead of preemptively deciding your precious baby couldn't learn and be inspired

I know it's not a novel. I realize it's autobiographical. I know she has grit and determination. I know she won the nobel prize.

My point is that a child reading about a child being shot in the face and left to die is disturbing. I don't think an 11 year old, who is learning about the world, should think about something like that. They have plenty to learn, and plenty of time to learn it.

When I was a kid, we didn't know about things like that at 11. We also didn't have suicide and depression rampant in high school. Protecting your children's emotional and psychological well being is part of being a good parent.

Curious about your background. Did you grow up in the US? Are you conservative?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I know it's not a novel. I realize it's autobiographical. I know she has grit and determination. I know she won the nobel prize.

My point is that a child reading about a child being shot in the face and left to die is disturbing. I don't think an 11 year old, who is learning about the world, should think about something like that. They have plenty to learn, and plenty of time to learn it.

When I was a kid, we didn't know about things like that at 11. We also didn't have suicide and depression rampant in high school. Protecting your children's emotional and psychological well being is part of being a good parent.

Who's "we"? I did. So did lots of other 11-year-olds, most notably the ones who live where things like that happen.

You know what I didn't know about at 11? Active-shooter drills in schools.

(It's not autobiographical. It's an autobiography.)

+1. Not to mention, PP's implied link between reading of autobiographies and increased mental illness rates makes no sense and is unsupported.

Ha ha, the implied link is not between reading autobiographies and mental illness rates. It's a link between reading disturbing material, like a child being shot in the face and left for dead, and future depression.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That book is not about suicide, its about survival and equal rights for women / girls to be educated.

Its really important and its not depressing.

It's not about suicide. It's about a child being shot in the face and left for dead for trying to get an education. I get the 'trying to get an education' part but do we really have to let our pre-pubescent kids think about a kid being shot in the face on a bus and left for dead? Why can't we find other examples and save the horror of life for later?

Yeah, for 9th grade when their schoolmate brings a rifle to high school and starts shooting at random.
Bitch, please! In this country, in particular, it's a travesty to pretend people -- and children -- don't get shot.

A lot of people are becoming concerned about the effects of lock down drills on children. Why shove it down their throats with a book like this? What value does it add to the idea that not everyone has easy access to a good education?

The value added: importance of education, appreciation for your freedom, female empowerment, perseverance, geopolitical dynamics, ....

I'm asking, what is the added value of having the main character be shot in the face and left for dead? Can't we teach our young people about the value of education without including something like that? I can think of many ways to do that, including discussing how kids in inner cities and low-income rural areas right here america are struggling to get an education.

“The main character”?! It’s an autobiography FFS.

We will be lucky if our kids have 1/100th of her grit. She's inspirational. Let her inspire your kid.

The fact that the PP think it's a fictional story tells me a lot about them.

Maybe you should read the book too and have a conversation about Malala's story. Be open to learning instead of preemptively deciding your precious baby couldn't learn and be inspired

I know it's not a novel. I realize it's autobiographical. I know she has grit and determination. I know she won the nobel prize.

My point is that a child reading about a child being shot in the face and left to die is disturbing. I don't think an 11 year old, who is learning about the world, should think about something like that. They have plenty to learn, and plenty of time to learn it.

When I was a kid, we didn't know about things like that at 11. We also didn't have suicide and depression rampant in high school. Protecting your children's emotional and psychological well being is part of being a good parent.

Curious about your background. Did you grow up in the US? Are you conservative?

No, I'm not conservative. I am a committed liberal. I read way above grade level as a kid and read -- and saw on tv -- whatever I could get my hands on, including some seriously inappropriate material that affects me to this day. My parents were totally unavailable and did not care what I read, did or saw on TV. I know other kids in better-managed families who turned out much better than my sibs and I did.

Again, taking care of your child's emotional well being is part of making parenting choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else think this is pretty ghastly for a rising 6th grader to think about? I wish MCPS treated our kids like kids and protected their emotions, instead of exposing them to depressing subjects like this when they're too young for it, and then holding suicide and depression prevention meetings when they're teens.

Not at all. It’s a story of perseverance and triumph. A great book that looks at the realities of life and how a strong spirit can prevail. My child read it in a day, although he was a rising 7th grader.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s important for those of us who are privileged and sheltered to understand what unbridled patriarchy wreaks. Girls need to understand what the world is like. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s important for those of us who are privileged and sheltered to understand what unbridled patriarchy wreaks. Girls need to understand what the world is like. Sorry.

+1. I’m glad to see that OP is alone in this type of sheltered thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I know it's not a novel. I realize it's autobiographical. I know she has grit and determination. I know she won the nobel prize.

My point is that a child reading about a child being shot in the face and left to die is disturbing. I don't think an 11 year old, who is learning about the world, should think about something like that. They have plenty to learn, and plenty of time to learn it.

When I was a kid, we didn't know about things like that at 11. We also didn't have suicide and depression rampant in high school. Protecting your children's emotional and psychological well being is part of being a good parent.

Who's "we"? I did. So did lots of other 11-year-olds, most notably the ones who live where things like that happen.

You know what I didn't know about at 11? Active-shooter drills in schools.

(It's not autobiographical. It's an autobiography.)

Obviously the comment is not about people who live where things like that happen -- it's in the MD schools thread, after all....