The point of this book is hugely important: education (and the education of women especially) is the key to freeing a society. Nasreen (and the generation of girls she represents) has a chance for a brighter future becase she attended a secret school despite the Taliban's laws.

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This true story of a little girl (name has been changed for her protection) who is sent to school in secret as a way to cope with the loss of her mother and father is inspiring. This is a true story from when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan and women had most of their rights taken away, including the right to an education. This is not a happy book, but rather a story of what you sometimes have to do to cope with the atrocities of life. This book has been banned and challenged multiple times. There are parents that think this book is too violent for their children to read. Iit is not! the most violent thing is Nasrenn’s uncle gets taken. Still other parents get upset because this book is not about the Christian lifestyle and dares to include an Islamic prayer and mention of the Koran. How dare they!! And how dare you not read this book. This is the type of story we should be sharing with kids, both now and in the future so we do not repeat history, or so that others know, this was real. These events were not made up! ( )

I got carried away reserving banned books at my library. Some of them, including this one, were children's books. This one is a true story about a little girl in Afghanistan whose Father was taken by soldiers and is left with her grandma when her mother goes in search of him. She refuses to speak until she meets a friend at a secret school that is being run for girls. Quite interesting and I would not think twice about letting a child read it. ( )

This is an engaging, beautifully illustrated story about the struggles girls in Afghanistan face just trying to go to school. Young children will relate to Nasreen and appreciate her bravery in trying to obtain an education.

Winter captures the story of a young girl living in modern day Afghanistan during times of war. Her father is dragged away by soldiers her mother goes out to find him leaving the Nasreen with her grandmother in a city with strict military regulations. As a result of loosing her parents, Nasreen turns inside herself and becomes silent, in an effort to save her granddaughter the grandmother enrolls her into a secret school for girls where she learns about the world outside her city walls.

This book encapsulates a story of war and how the lives of children are altered as a result. Through the pages of this book, the reader gets a glimpse of living through war while trying to remain hopeful. ( )