Tuesday, 22 October 2019
"A Girl Called Genghis Khan" by Michelle Lord and Shehzil Malik (Sterling Children's Books)
In "A Girl Called Genghis Khan" you'll find a girl actually called Maria Toorpakai Wazir who took an amazingly brave step of standing up to the Taliban in her home country of Pakistan, assuming the role of a boy in order to become a world famous squash player.
Maria loved sports and longed for the freedom that boys in her culture enjoyed.
She joined a squash club to pursue her dream, and was taunted, teased, and beaten--but still continued playing.
Then, when Maria received an award from the President of Pakistan for outstanding achievement, the Taliban threatened her squash club, her family, and her life.
Although forced to quit the team, she refused to give up. Maria kept practicing the game in her bedroom every day for three years! Her hard work and perseverance in the face of overwhelming obstacles will inspire all children, not just girls, and show how injustice and inequality can be overcome if you're brave enough to stand up and show that you truly believe in something.
Sum this book up in a sentence: A truly awe-inspiring story of a young girl who bravely stood up for, and fought for her right to be treated as an equal in a country where women are treated as second class citizens.
"A Girl Called Genghis Khan" by Michelle Lord and Shehzil Malik is out now, published by Sterling Children's Books (kindly supplied for review).
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