This book is titled "Malala's Magic
Pencil," written by Malala Yousafzai: an
autobiography.
Do you believe in magic?
When Malala was a little girl, she used
to watch a TV show about a boy who had a
magic pencil. When the boy was hungry, he
used his magic pencil to draw a bowl of
curry. When he and his friends were
outside and danger appeared, he would
draw a police officer to keep them safe.
Oh how Malala wanted a magic pencil too!
I used to say if I had a magic
pencil, I would put a lock on my door so
my brothers couldn't bother me. Or I
would stop time so I could sleep in an
extra hour every morning. I would use the
pencil to erase the smell of rubbish
near my home.
I would draw the most beautiful dress in
the world for my mother. I would draw the
best buildings in the valley for my
father so he could open new schools
where children could study for free. I
would draw a proper ball for my brothers
to play soccer with.
Every night before
bed, she would wish for a magic pencil of
her own. And every morning she would wake
up and check the cupboard, but the magic
pencil was never there.
One day she was
throwing away old potato peels and egg
shells at the dump, trying not to step on
anything dirty when she saw three
children
sorting rubbish into piles - the same age
as her. They were looking for food and a
boy was fishing for metal scraps using a
string and a magnet. Malala told her
father what she had seen at the rubbish
bin earlier that day. Her father was sad
and explained that some children cannot
go to school. They must work to help
support their families by cooking and
cleaning and looking for scrap metal.
Malala felt so lucky to be able to
attend school.
When I got home, I looked out the window
and saw my neighbors. People who were
hungry and had less than we did and it
made me sad. I thought when I grew up,
maybe I'm gonna have to cook and clean
and help my brothers. Maybe my dreams
won't come true. I knew that if I had a
magic pencil, I would use it to draw a
better more peaceful world.
First I would erase hunger. I would erase
war. I would erase poverty. And then I
would draw a world where girls and boys
were equal.
Over the next few years, instead of
wishing for that magic pencil,
I worked hard every day. I wanted to be
the top student in my class. When school
was over and it was time to walk home,
I was afraid. Men lined the streets of
our city carrying weapons, and I did not
feel safe. Malala told her father that
she did not feel safe going to school
and was afraid and that many children
and friends were gone from her class. Her
father explained that more and more
girls were forced to stay home because
the bad men had forbidden girls from
attending school. Malala loved school and
her father said, Malala, you will always
live free as a bird.
Sadly, wishing wasn't enough. What could I
do? I had an idea to write letters. I
wrote about what it felt like to be
afraid to go to school. I wrote about how
my friends were forced to stay home and
others had moved away because they
didn't feel safe. I wrote about how much
I loved school and I sent them
everywhere.
Soon I started receiving responses to
all of my letters. People were reading
them. They were contacting me. They wanted
to interview me. They wanted me to give
speeches. They wanted to know what was
happening in our country about how girls
were not allowed to go to school, how we
were living in poverty. Through my
letters, our story became known around
the world.
Dangerous men tried to silence me but
they failed. My voice became so powerful.
I spoke for all of the girls who
couldn't speak for themselves.
And now through all of my letters, my
voice is louder and louder because
people have joined me. And together we
make a chorus standing up for what we
believe in. Everybody knows our story and
wants to help solve our problem. Do you
still believe in magic? I certainly do.
I wrote alone in my room, but people all
over the world were reading my story.
And millions now know it and help me
spread my message of hope. I found the
magic I was looking for by sharing my
story with the world.
One day they invited me to go to a very
important meeting where lots of people
were listening to me share my story of
how I love school, and I love my country,
and I want to make the world a more
peaceful place. My favorite quote is "One
child, one teacher, one book, and one pen
can change the world."
