Addams Award Presentation by Ruby Hartman

rubymae03 — 2024-04-04 23:38:37 UTC

"Malala's Magic Pencil" tells the uplifting story of Malala through her own words. She describes how she watched a TV show about a boy with a magic pencil and he could draw things from his imagination and make them real. Malala goes onto describe how she wishes that she had a magic pencil that could help to make the world a better place for her and her family. She comes to realize that others may need the ability of a magic pencil as well as she discovers the injustice of the world around her. Malala worked hard in school since she acknowledged the privilege of her being able to go, since many children, especially young girls, were too poor, or their families did not allow them to go to school. Malala then began to realize the danger behind her attending school as a girl and this prompted her to speak out against the injustice. She created her own sort of magic pencil by spreading her story of hope and resilience to others. She was inspiring many people, and this caused her to be a target by those that did not want liberation and education for women. Malala experienced a brutal attack, but this did not stop her, it only propelled her journey forward. Malala believes that "one child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world" (Yousafzai, 2017, p. 40).

rubymae03 — 2024-04-04 23:44:08 UTC

"Malala's Magic Pencil" meets the criteria for the JACBA award perfectly. In the article written by Lesley Colabucci and Mary Napoli entitled "Beyond Compassion? An analysis of the Jane Addams Children's Book Award" the special criteria for the JACBA award is identified. Most awards for multicultural children's literature have different requirements than the JACBA. Other awards focus on multicultural literature in a general sense where it is meant to teach the audience about a culture that they may be unfamiliar with. This can be accomplished through a variety of story formats. The JACBA is unique for the fact that it places an emphasis on achieving peace and social justice, typically because of a complex societal issue. Another aspect noted in this article was the mention of the fact that the award needs more stories that focus on biographies of women activists. "Malala's Magic Pencil" exemplifies this much needed representation perfectly. I have read Malala's actual biography, written for older children/adults, and while this children's book does not reach the depth that her biography did, it still presents the major events of her life in a way that is engaging, uplifting and educational for young audiences. It describes her journey of activism despite the odds against her and how she has impacted change across the world through her words. She encourages her young audience to speak out against injustice and that their voices are powerful.

Reference: Colabucci, L. & Napoli, M.,(2017). Beyond Compassion? An Analysis of the Jane Addams Children's Book Award. Journal of Children's Literature, volume 43 (No. 1), 37.

"Malala's Magic Pencil" pertains to a number of the questions listed as criteria for the JACBA award that are meant to invite dialogue and questioning about the story. The book invites the notion that even if justice is obtained for one group, one's compassion and empathy will urge them to strive for justice for all people. In the story, even though Malala has won her own battle, she continues to fight for the rights of others. The book also addresses how young people, like Malala, can "break the cycle of fear" by responding "creatively, nonviolently and humanely" to injustice. She does so by giving speeches, writing, and spreading her activism in any way that she can, and encouraging others to do so as well. Finally, the book truly embodies the idea of working for "power and equality for all women throughout the world". Malala does seek for justice and education for all children, but the beginning of her journey as an activist stemmed from the fact that in her home country, girls obtaining an education was frowned upon and injustice and violence occurred as a result.

Reference: Jane Addams Peace Association. (2024, April 4). Award Guidelines. Jane Addams Children Book Award. https://www.janeaddamschildrensbookaward.org/book-award/award-guidelines/

rubymae03 — 2024-04-05 00:19:11 UTC

rubymae03 — 2024-04-05 02:01:26 UTC

Reviews of "Malala's Magic Pencil" make note of Malala's personal accomplishments, such as being the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Ilene Cooper's review makes note of the youthful and somewhat casual nature of the book. Malala's story does contain intense and dark subject matter that younger audiences may not be prepared to hear, so she found a way to make it lighthearted but still impactful by retaining some of the detail. Another review by Kirkus Review makes note of the beautiful illustrations that provide a strong setting, while keeping Malala's bright and hopeful outlook present with the ornate paisley designs on many of the pages. The story may be a bit difficult to understand once it is resolved for younger audiences, but it helps to open a dialogue between teachers and students/ parents and their children, about the important themes present in the story.

References: Cooper, I. (2017). Malala's Magic Pencil [book review]. Booklist.

Kirkus Review. (2017). Malala's Magic Pencil [book review]. Kirkus.