Malala: activist for girls' education by Raphaele Frier. Illustrared by Aurelia Fronty. Unpgd. Charlesbridge, February, 2017. 9781580807853. (Review from finished copy courtesy of publisher.)
I'll make this short and sweet. Make room for this picture book biography on your middle school shelves, your elementary school shelves, your classroom library shelves and public library shelves. Have I forgotten any?
While biographies of this brave young activist abound, this vibrantly illustrated, present-tense picture book shines. I consistently add picture books to my school library's biography section and encourage students who need to read a biography to explore subjects through a picture book biography before committing to a 100+ page biography. While Malala is consistently high-interest, students will find the attractive, folk-style illustrations (Aurelia Fronty also illustrated the gorgeous Wangari Maathai: the woman who planted millions of trees.) and succinct and simple text appealing. They will also love the many pages of back-matter if they are doing research. Included are photos, a time line, a map, geographical and cultural information, excerpts from speeches and suggestions for further reading.
Truly a first-purchase!
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