Both of these books feature characters who are incredibly brave even though it puts their lives at risk and ultimately leads to Iqbal losing his life at such a young age. In the book, Reading to Make a Difference, the idea that there are different types of people, those who ignore problems, those who believe that one person could never make a true change anyways, and those who cannot ignore issues of injustice. Both Amal Unbound and Malala, a Brave Girl from Pakistan/Iqbal, a Brave Boy from Pakistan: Two Stories of Bravery, feature characters who cannot and will not ignore injustice. Through these books and so many more that could be paired with them, bravery and activism could be explored deeply by students. I loved the idea presented by Laminack and Kelly in chapter five of their book to compare Malala to Rosa Parks (2019). Rosa Parks is such a famous activist in history so to pair her story with a more contemporary one is so powerful. I loved the ideas presented by Laminack and Kelly that teachers had had success with, but especially the statement that these types of things can still and should be discussed with K-2 students. Although they may lack the background knowledge to dive as deeply, ideas such as racism, activism, and bravery can still be evoked through diverse books and good conversation (Laminack, 2019). 

In my own classroom...

I want readers to meet characters that they connect to and relate with AND characters that they have nothing in common with. As a reader, it is so important to read a variety of perspectives, because the statement is so true that the more you read the more you know. I have been so excited to expand my historical perspective through reading this semester. My historical knowledge has always been something that I am self conscious about and have been nervous about teaching social studies, but now I feel more excited and inspired than nervous. Reading truly gives people power. Diverse books that have stories that will inspire students to be better humans are the exact types of books that I want in my own classroom. Books that evoke empathy and show my students that one small individual change makes a difference in the world. By providing students with background knowledge and having a classroom community where students are invited to ask questions and be curious, I truly believe that students will connect with books and have emotional responses to them.