" I discovered Deborah Ellis’s books in the school library after my head teacher encouraged me to go beyond the school curriculum and look for books I might enjoy. "
- Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai reflects on a moment when her head teacher encouraged her to venture beyond the standard school curriculum by seeking out books that might resonate with her personally. This advice led Malala to discover Deborah Ellis's works, which she found particularly enjoyable and meaningful.

The quote carries deeper significance as it highlights the importance of personalized education and the role educators play in nurturing students' interests and passions outside conventional academic boundaries. By fostering an environment where students are encouraged to explore literature and ideas that engage their individual curiosities, teachers can significantly impact a student's intellectual growth and emotional development. Malala’s experience underscores how such encouragement can lead to profound personal discoveries and lifelong appreciations for reading and learning.

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist for women's education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. Born in 1997, she became an advocate for girls' rights at a young age, particularly their right to education. Her activism led to her being targeted by the Taliban and surviving an assassination attempt as a teenager. Despite this adversity, Malala continued to campaign globally for access to education, founding the Malala Fund, which works towards providing educational opportunities for girls worldwide.