I Am Malala [Young Readers adaptation] Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal

I Am Malala [Young Readers adaptation] questions by chapter

We know the book, its characters, setting and story, but not what happens in each chapter. So every question is written for this book, and any of them works wherever your reader has just stopped. One question per chapter, across all 35 chapters, and every one is editable before you print. The example answers under 3 of the chapters are the ones printed at the front of the booklet.

1. Chapter 1

   From what you have read so far, what matters most to Malala? Describe a detail that helps you understand why.

2. Chapter 2

   How does Malala describe her home in Pakistan's Swat Valley? Explain what you have learned about the place and its people.

3. Chapter 3

   What have you learned about Malala's father, Ziauddin, and his views on education? Explain how his ideas might affect Malala.

4. Chapter 4

   Which detail so far shows what everyday life is like for Malala? Explain how it makes her seem like a real person, not just someone famous.

5. Chapter 5

   Based on what you know now, what do you predict Malala will care about or try to do next? Use a detail from your reading to support your guess.

6. Chapter 6

   Choose a word from your latest reading that was new or interesting to you. What do you think it means, and which nearby words helped you figure it out?

7. Chapter 7

   What makes school important to Malala? Explain how her feelings compare with your own feelings about learning.

   Example answer: I think school matters to Malala because it gives her a chance to learn and work toward her dreams. Her father also believes that girls should have an education. I like learning new things, but I sometimes think of school as just part of my daily routine. Reading about Malala reminds me that being able to attend school is something to value.

8. Chapter 8

   Describe something you have learned about Malala's family so far. How might that help you understand her better?

9. Chapter 9

   Which choice or action by Malala has caught your attention? Explain what it suggests about her personality.

10. Chapter 10

    What questions do you have about life in the Swat Valley after this reading? Explain which detail made you curious.

11. Chapter 11

    How has the book helped you think about fairness for girls and boys? Discuss one detail you have read so far.

12. Chapter 12

    Identify a challenge Malala has described so far. What makes it difficult, and what might help her face it?

13. Chapter 13

    What role have friendships played in Malala's life in your reading so far? If you have not read much about her friends yet, explain what you would like to learn.

14. Chapter 14

    Find a passage that helped you picture Malala's surroundings. Which words made the picture clear, and what did you imagine?

15. Chapter 15

    What have you learned about a custom or belief in Malala's community? Explain it respectfully using details from the book.

16. Chapter 16

    If you could ask Malala one question about something you have just read, what would you ask? Explain why her answer would matter to you.

17. Chapter 17

    How do people around Malala seem to influence her ideas? Choose someone you have read about and explain that person's influence.

18. Chapter 18

    What does courage mean in the part of Malala's story you have read so far? Use an action, thought, or choice to explain your answer.

19. Chapter 19

    Which moment in your recent reading seemed especially important? Explain how it connects to what you already know about Malala.

20. Chapter 20

    What have you learned so far about the difference between having a right and being able to use that right? Connect your answer to Malala's interest in education.

    Example answer: I have learned that saying someone has a right does not always mean that person can use it safely. Girls should be able to learn, but Malala describes people who want to keep them from school. I think a right needs people to protect it, not just words saying it exists. That helps me understand why education matters so much to her.

21. Chapter 21

    Imagine you are making a heading for the chapter you just read. What heading would you choose, and how would it fit Malala's story?

22. Chapter 22

    How does Malala help readers understand her feelings? Discuss a detail that shows an emotion without only naming it.

23. Chapter 23

    Choose an important word from your reading about school, family, or community. Explain its meaning and why it matters in Malala's story.

24. Chapter 24

    What is one way your life seems similar to or different from Malala's life so far? Explain the comparison using a detail from the book.

25. Chapter 25

    Which person you have read about would you like to understand better? Describe what you know about that person and what you still wonder.

26. Chapter 26

    What signs of hope have you noticed in Malala's story so far? Explain why a particular detail feels hopeful to you.

27. Chapter 27

    How might an event from your latest reading affect Malala's family or community? Make a prediction and explain your reasons.

28. Chapter 28

    What have you learned about the power of speaking up? Explain how your reading so far shows either its value or its difficulty.

29. Chapter 29

    Would you describe Malala as a determined person based on what you have read? Explain your opinion with evidence from the book.

30. Chapter 30

    Which detail shows that Malala's story is about more than one person's life? Explain how it connects her experiences to other people.

31. Chapter 31

    What information in your latest reading helped you understand something that had confused you earlier? Explain your new understanding, or describe a question you still have.

32. Chapter 32

    How does reading Malala's own account affect the way you understand her? Explain what her words let you learn about her thoughts or feelings.

    Example answer: I understand Malala better because she tells me what matters to her in her own words. She shares parts of her family life and explains how much she cares about school. I see her as a girl with feelings and dreams, not only as a famous person. Her voice helps me care about the things she wants readers to understand.

33. Chapter 33

    Choose a decision made by someone in your reading so far. What other choice could that person have made, and how might it have changed the situation?

34. Chapter 34

    What lesson about supporting other people can you draw from Malala's story so far? Explain which detail led you to that lesson.

35. Chapter 35

    Looking back over what you have read, how has your understanding of Malala grown? Describe an early impression and a detail that added to or changed it.