A truly wonderful look into the life of a young Pakistani girl, who must become a slave in order to pay off the debt of her family. Amal is a strong and courageous girl, and I will recommend this book to my middle school students. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Purchased this for my classroom after reading it here. Many students have chosen to select this for independent reading. Great book!

Amal's story is one of resiliency, the power of education, and the need for cultural awareness. This text would be ideal for a book study in the upper elementary and middle grades. As a teacher, I would begin with an analysis of the cover that is so beautiful and telling, and then work through the incredible story of the courageous Amal, who in spite of her fears, did what she had to do to survive and thrive. Her story shows us that despite our circumstances, we do have the ability to create change.

This story affected me much in the way that Sold, A Long Walk to Water, Rickshaw Girl, or Queen of Water did. As we fight for so many injustices here in America, there are unimaginable things happening to humans in other places around the world. Often somewhere like Pakistan seems so far away, but then you read a story like Amal’s and you see that the gap between you and her is not that big and we all just want happiness in our life. Amal’s strive for knowledge and willingness to help others are traits that make her unforgettable mostly when paired with the bravery she shows throughout this book. Amal’s story will truly help readers look through windows (and possibly mirrors) and have to face the privilege we do have and the injustice others face.

On top of the very important theme and amazing main character, the story of Amal Unbound is heartwarming as well as heartbreaking and heart wrenching. And there is a truly suspenseful part also! The story is definitely one that will keep kids reading while also doing all of what I said above.

Amal is a 12 year old girl living with her family in a poor village in Pakistan. She is frustrated when her mother has another baby, yet another girl, and while the mother recuperates, Amal must run the household. She lashes out her frustrations on a wealthy landowner, who demands she come work for him, as a type of indentured servant, to work off the "debt" of her insults. She finds herself in danger of always being indebted to him because of accumulating charges for room and board, etc. The unfairness of the situation does not go unnoticed by Amel, but will she be brave enough to do what she needs to bring attention to his corrupt ways?
Interesting story of how education helped a young girl prevail. This was a quick read that elicited many emotions from sadness, to anger to pride.

A beautifully written tale of crushed dreams and growing in a culture where childhood quickly slips through your fingers as servitude forced on the very young. It is an eye-opening experience to feel Amal's dreams break under the wheel of life as she mentally ages by the cruelty of the world around her. Though I'm an adult, I know it's an important task to tackle and bring forth to children how different each of the world's cultures can be, how grateful children should be. I appreciate the delicacy in which this book present it.
**I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.**

I highly recommend this book for young readers (and even adults who prefer shorter reads). A wonderful look into a different country and culture that may illicit thoughtful discussion.

Thank you, Penguin and NetGalley, for a digital ARC.

I just can't even wrap my head around this book. It's so good! This is going to be a very short review. JUST READ IT! We desperately need more books like this in our world. Books that open our eyes to another world, another life other than our own.
Amal is a strong character that I instantly fell in love with. Her spirit, her determination and will to do right is something admirable that makes her easy to relate to. While the story is a hard one, it's full of hope - just like Amal - her name means HOPE - and ends with an ending that inspires. This book deserves to be in EVERY classroom from elementary to high school.

I love this book so much for middle school students! It is an eye opening story of a young girl living in modern day Pakistan who wishes nothing more than to have an education. She faces many trials and trials and tribulations throughout her journey in this good. Students should read this and realize how lucky they are to get their education!!

Love this book so much! So deep, so gut wrenching too. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to open their hearts and minds to other cultures as well as struggles people face in other countries.

I loved this middle grade book focused around family, freedom, and the prices paid for those precious things. Lots of possible discussion material here with kids, but nothing heavy handed. I loved Saeed's added section about Malala in the back for kids to have a window into what education means to girls in these communities. Wonderful! A must read.

Jay 💜's 8/27 for #27SummerReads.
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@netgalley #partner
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Thanks to #NetGalley for the copy of #AmalUnbound. All opinions are my own.
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I was a little late reading this one, I know. But it was a really good book about a girl named Amal, who becomes bound to servanthood to pay off a debt.
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It was a good look into a culture that I'm not very familiar with. I think this would be a great book for students. It can be read independently in the upper elementary grades, but is appropriate to be read aloud to younger grades as well.
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#books #bookstagram #bibliophile #bibliophilebesties #IGreads #ireadtoo #teacherreads #MGreads #middlegrade

What if all of your choices were suddenly taken away from you, and for the sake of your family you were basically sold as a slave. Although this scenario sounds unbelievable, it is sadly not uncommon in some parts of the world. Amal is a bright, curious middle school aged girl, who loves her friends and going to school. She has dreams of learning more and more, but her dreams crumble to dust when unforseen events force her out of her home, out of school and into domestic labor. As I read, I wept, laughed and sighed right along with Amal. Amal will stay with you long after you stop reading!

So happy that I read this book. Amal Unbound tackles very tough and mature themes like patriarchy and indentured servitude, and the fact that this was done in a middle grade novel is a gift to readers. Amal is such a beautiful character, not afraid to show fear but never giving up on her dream of an education and always striving to do what she knows is right. Her story proves that change can sometimes come at a price, but still may be worth the fight. Highly recommend!

Amal has big dreams. Even though her father wants her to stay home and help her mother, Amal wants to keep going to school. She wants to become a school teacher, and learn about everything in the world. The world around her may be filled with adult problems such and droughts, powerful evil men, and violence, she is sheltered with her little family.
While shopping for some groceries in the open air market, she is hit by the car of Jawad, the son of the village landlord. Amal talks back unthinkingly, not expecting her careless words to change her life forever. Jawad comes into her families’ home and as a punishment for her disrespect takes her to his mansion to be a servant. Amal goes from a planning for college to a hopeless and terrifying existence.
This story is heartbreaking in the reality it portrays for so many women and families. An important voice from a land across the world.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the setting as it was a place that I'm not familiar with. I liked learning about a new culture and customs in a different part of the world. It reminded me a little of the Orphan Keeper which is another great book. I liked that the main character had integrity and wasn't willing to give up even when things were incredible difficult. I also liked that she learned to forgive when it was very hard for her. Amal made the best of a very bad situation and I believe that this is an important lesson that many of us need to learn. I highly recommend this book.

Teenage Amal is a Pakistani girl who loves poetry and dreams of becoming a teacher one day. But when she insults the son of someone very important in her community, she finds herself working as an indentured servant in his household. Amal misses her family, but helps the other servants in the household to learn to read and write. This is a book about not giving up and being part of the change.

I started reading this book, and it drew me in so much that I didn't put it down until I finished it. I loved the different perspectives, the unfamiliar culture, and the common problems. Amal's personality reminds me of myself and my daughter, but Amal's independence and strength gets her (and her family) in much more serious trouble than what most Americans would face. I highly recommend this book. The universal themes of family, love, and overcoming hardships will unite people around the world and make this planet just a little smaller. Read Amal Unbound and enrich your life.

Amal, a strong and fierce main character, has a goal to continue to excel in school and one day become a teacher. She is the oldest in her family, and she soon finds herself having to care for her siblings after her youngest sister is born. When she allows her temper to get the best of her one day, she ends up forced into a life as an indentured servant for a ruthless landlord. This is a story about how no matter how impossible a situation seems, creating a solution is possible with courage.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this middle grade to read and review.

This middle grade book follows the journey of a Pakistani girl who is smart, dutiful, and has big dreams for her future. It’s cut short when she has a run-in with the village landlord who decides to take her as a servant for his family. I’m enjoying the fact that there are so many more #ownvoices books being published so that readers have a better glimpse inside the real stories of young people across the globe.

This would make a great read aloud or book club book in a 4th-6th grade classroom. Definitely recommend.