Whale rider (movie)
Archive for the ‘Other cultures’ Category
I am Malala – Malala Yousafzai
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.
Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize.
I AM MALALA is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.
I AM MALALA will make you believe in the power of one person’s voice to inspire change in the world.
Do you speak chocolate? – Cas Lester
‘Do you speak chocolate?’ Jaz has found the best way to make friends with new girl Nadima, who doesn’t speak any English – by offering her a chocolate bar. Nadima grins and offers back some Turkish Delight, the ice is broken, and a special friendship begins …
Jaz is outgoing, rebellious, gumptious and a little bit bolshy – but it doesn’t stop her from finding it hard that she doesn’t have a best friend at school any more. Not since Lily went off with Kara … She’s not one to get down about things, though – and things start to look up when Nadima comes into their classroom. Before long the girls are firm friends, even when Nadima, recently arrived from Syria, can’t speak much English. The path of true friendship doesn’t run smooth, though … Jaz, ever the entrepreneur, cooks up a plan to sell Turkish Delight at school, with disastrous results. A drama project with Nadima about family history proves impossible to manage. And Charity Challenge Week puts the icing on the cake as Jaz puts every foot wrong possible. Can she find a way to put things right, and restore the wonderful and unique friendship that she has with Nadima?
Boy overboard – Morris Gleitzman
Jamal loves playing football, which isn’t easy is your goalie only has one leg
and you keep having to dodge landmines to get your ball back.
Jamal’s stubborn little sister, Bibi, is even better at football than Jamal.
But girls playing football is against the law in Afghanistan.
When it is discovered that Jamal’s mother has been secretly running a school,
the family must leave their home immediately and begin a long and dangerous journey to Australia.
The children survive separation from their parents, hunger, and violent smugglers
only to find that Australia isn’t as welcoming as they had thought but, even though they face an uncertain future,
Jamal, Bibi and their parents know that as long as they are together, that is all that matters.
Chinese Cinderella – Adeline Yen Mah
Adeline Yen Mah is born into an affluent and powerful family in China, but her life is made miserable from the moment she is born. After her mother dies giving birth to her, Adeline’s family labels her “bad luck,” causing her to grow up with the guilt that she alone is responsible for her mother’s death. Things at home get even worse when Adeline’s father remarries. Restricted to one small area of the house, Adeline and her natural siblings are mistreated while their stepbrother and stepsister receive special treatment. An outstanding student and the winner of many academic awards, Adeline revels in the praise she receives from her Aunt Baba and grandfather, Ye Ye, and lives with the hope that her father might someday be proud of her.
