Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan

I watch the morning news while getting ready for work. While with me during those morning routines, my first-grader had many questions I did not feel I could adequately and appropriately answer. This is a terrific book for introducing the idea to elementary school children, foreign and horrible as it may be, that there are places where going to school is dangerous. In addition to planting the seeds of appreciation for her own education and her luck in being born when/where she was, the idea of being able to defy evil by learning to read is very exciting. There is also a girl and her grandmother who are not helpless after being left alone when her parents disappear. That part of the story was not nearly as scary to her as I thought it would be. In subtext, the fear of the "bad guys" is offset by the others who endanger themselves to allow the school to succeed and the students to be safe. This is a terrific book that I will start giving as a gift to my elementary-aged friends and relatives.

It is a brief account of a very real, tough situation but potentially thought provoking for young readers. The Kindle edition is a bit disappointing.

I used this book with 4th and 5th graders. It prompts A LOT of questions from the students and its very engaging because Nasreen is their age so it’s relatable in a sense as they compare their education experiences.

My 7 year old daughter loves this book and has read it several times since it arrived. This had been a great conversation starter about life in more oppressive countries and what it might be like to be a child in Afghanistan. Recommended for any 1st or 2nd grade classroom.

Something about this book really clicked with my 6-year-old - she's a somewhat reluctant reader, but wants to read this one again and again! We had gotten it from the library, but because of how much she loved it, I finally ordered the book. Sweet story that exposes children to the struggles of kids around the world in a very gentle way. Wonderful book!

I felt it was a bit heavy for 5 year old to read.

I used this story in my 7th grade classroom as a tool for helping students identify problems and solutions. This book was a quick read for them and they were able to understand the story and the skill. They all really enjoyed the book and it had them generate a lot of questions about the outside world!

I bought this as a gift for my friend from Afghanistan, who was one of the women who taught girls secretly in her home during the Taliban occupation. She cried and cried when she saw and read this book. I am so happy to have found it.