Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed, 240 pp, RL 4

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed Cover art by Shehzil Malik Purchased from Barnes & Noble With Amal Unbound , Aisha Saeed introduces young readers to the many gendered disadvantages experienced by girls in Pakistan, from access to education to indentured servitude. Published in 2018 and inspired by Malala Yousafzai, Saeed's narrator is an intelligent, observant heroine who is brave enough to use her voice to speak out for what she wants for herself and all girls. Amal Unbound is instantly engrossing, with short chapters that make it hard to put down. From the packed school room, two students to one desk, to the low-ceiling houses where electrical blackouts are frequent, Saeed sets the scene, giving readers a strong sense of what life is like for Amal's family. From there, Saeed layers in the many inequities that exists for girls in Pakistan. When her mother gives birth to her fifth daughter, Amal notices the disappointment on her parents' faces and hears the sympathy expres