BuzzFlash Reviews

BUZZFLASH REVIEWS

Young readers will be captivated by Greg Mortenson's story because it is suspenseful and inspirational. This edition does much to make Mortenson's story accessible to young children. There are 16 pages of color photos, a glossary that explains Islamic festivals, Pakistani geography and much more plus a Who's Who that will help them differentiate the many characters with non-Western names. The interview with Greg Mortenson's 12-year-old daughter, Amira, provides a glimpse of life in Afghanistan and Pakistan from the perspective of someone closer to their age.

Reviewed by Terry Soto, BuzzFlash.com


From Publishers Weekly:

In 1993, while climbing one of the world's most difficult peaks, Mortenson became lost and ill, and eventually found aid in the tiny Pakistani village of Korphe. He vowed to repay his generous hosts by building a school; his efforts have grown into the Central Asia Institute, which has since provided education for 25,000 children. Retold for middle readers, the story remains inspirational and compelling. Solid pacing and the authors' skill at giving very personal identities to people of a different country, religion and culture help Mortenson deliver his message without sounding preachy; he encourages readers to put aside prejudice and politics, and to remember that the majority of people are good. An interview with Mortenson's 12-year-old daughter, who has traveled with her father to Pakistan, offers another accessible window onto this far-away and underlines Mortenson's sacrifice and courage. Illustrated throughout with b&w photos, it also contains two eight-page insets of color photos. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 6–8: Hiking in the mountains of Pakistan in 1993, Mortenson got lost. He found his way to a small village where the locals helped him recover from his ordeal. While there, he noticed that the students had no building and did all of their schooling out of doors. Motivated to repay the kindness he had received, he vowed to return to the village and help build a school. Thus began his real life's journey. Mortenson's story recounts the troubles he faced in the U.S. trying to raise the money and then in Pakistan, trying to get the actual supplies to a remote mountain location. His eventual success led to another, and yet another, until he established a foundation and built a string of schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson manages to give the story an insider's feel despite being an outsider himself. His love of the region and the people is evident throughout and his dedication to them stalwart. The writing is lively, if simplistic, and for the most part the story moves along at a fairly quick clip. In this specially adapted edition for young people, new photographs and an interview with Mortenson's young daughter, who often travels with him, have been added.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

If you're not familiar with the several month NYT bestseller adult version of "Three Cups of Tea," please read about it and consider buying the paperback version of it on BuzzFlash here.


BUZZFLASH REVIEWS