Little Gifts

Three Cups of Tea One Mans Journey to Change the World One Child at a Time

Three Cups of Tea One Mans Journey to Change the World One Child at a Time

In 1993, while climbing one of the world’s most difficult peaks, Mortenson became lost and ill, and eventually found aid in the tiny Pakistani village of Korphe. He vowed to repay his generous hosts by building a school; his efforts have grown into the Central Asia Institute, which has since provided education for 25,000 children. Retold for middle readers, the story remains inspirational and compelling. Solid pacing and the authors’ skill at giving very personal identities to people of a different country, religion and culture help Mortenson deliver his message without sounding preachy; he encourages readers to put aside prejudice and politics, and to remember that the majority of people are good. An interview with Mortenson’s 12-year-old daughter, who has traveled with her father to Pakistan, offers another accessible window onto this far-away and underlines Mortenson’s sacrifice and courage. Illustrated throughout with b&w photos, it also contains two eight-page insets of color photos.The picture book, while close in content to the longer books, is written in the voice of Korphe’s children rather than providing Mortenson’s view, making it easier for American kids to enter the story. Roth (Leon’s Story) pairs the words with her signature mixed-media collage work, this time using scraps of cloth along with a variety of papers. Her work has a welcoming, tactile dimension—readers would want to touch the fabric headscarves, for example. A detailed scrapbook featuring photos from Three Cups of Tea and an artist’s note firmly ground the book in fact. A portion of the authors’ royalties will benefit the Central Asia Institute. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars A modern day hero’s story
This book proves that one man can make a big change in the world. I’ll bet Greg Mortenson never thought his life would take on this world changing mission. this book would be an excellent choice for every young reader and should be available at schools and libraries everywhere. We know too little about the people in this part of the world.

5 Stars Community service can be here or anywhere
This middle school version of 3 Cups of Tea is a welcome book for this age group. With a growing emphasis on community service, this book can show students how one person can make a difference while learning about and understanding another culture. This book just reinforces the fact that we all want the same things for our children. Because this part of the world is so much in the news right now, this is a nice tie in to the Afghan war and the plight of its people. This book also could serve as a catalyst for discussion about that part of the world, Islam, education for girls and how Mortensen’s efforts translate to local community service projects.

5 Stars Great Children’s Adaptation of Three Cups of Tea–Secular Sainthood: One Man’s Road to Saving Humanity Through Education
If you encourage a child to read only one book this year, I strongly urge you to select this one.

Children need heroes who reach out to them and serve as life-long role models. Greg Mortenson is the kind of hero that any parent would be proud for her or his children to emulate. His work is aimed at helping children in poor countries (especially Pakistan and Afghanistan) get an education, his first encouraging financial support came from school children in the United States, and he has established a charitable giving program, Pennies for Peace, that children participate in. Did you know that a penny will buy a pencil (something few poor children have) in Pakistan and Afghanistan?

This book is a superb adaption and updating of the original volume by Sarah Thomson to appeal to those in about the 8-13 year-old group. She has added photographs, information, and a Q & A from Greg Mortenson’s daughter, Amira, that make the book positively sing from a young person’s perspective. The book also features a new foreword by Jane Goodall and some photographs of her with the Mortensons.

The adaptation keeps the drama and excitement of the original while slimming down the stories in ways that make them more iconic. At the same time, the perspective is shifted from adults thinking about children to how the children see and experience Mr. Mortenson’s work.

Do you like to read heroic tales of overcoming daunting odds to achieve great things? Do you believe that we are past the age of heroes? If you answered yes to either question, you need to read Three Cups of Tea immediately!

Here’s the overview of this book. Greg Mortenson was a determined mountain climber on his way back from challenging K2, one of the world’s highest and most dangerous peaks in the Himalayas, when he lost his way. He was exhausted from just having helped in the all-but-impossible rescue of one of his fellow climbers. As a result of the second of his mistakes in leaving the so-called trail, Mortenson found himself needing help in a Balti village in Pakistan that he had never heard of, Korphe. The villagers nursed him back to health, and Mortenson began listening to their grievances against the Pakistan government which supported an on-going conflict with India over Kashmir, but did not provide a school for their children. The grateful Mortenson promised to build them a school.

Many people make such promises, but few fulfill them. Mortenson headed back to California and raised the $12,000 he estimated it would take to build the school. With the money in hand, he flew back to Pakistan and started buying supplies. Arriving at the village, his new Balti friends reminded him that there was no bridge to transport the supplies to the village. Mortenson headed back to raise the money for the bridge.

After many more trials, the school was built and a teacher installed. Mortenson had found his life work. He wanted to provide schools for all of the Pakistani children who didn’t get an education, especially the girls, who were more likely to stay in their villages and improve living conditions. Everything was difficult. Pakistanis didn’t trust him. Muslims thought it was all a plot to convert children to Christianity. Some wanted bribes. People in the United States were generally opposed to helping Muslims unless they had been climbers in that part of the Himalayas. Mortenson got hate mail. But he persevered.

Eventually, his vision expanded to helping with water projects and to providing scholarships for higher education for those who graduated from the schools he built.

Conditions in Afghanistan also called out to him, and he established a similar program there.

But his slim efforts were being overwhelmed by madrassas funded with Saudi money that were often used to recruit and train terrorists. His life changed forever when in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan Parade Magazine wrote an article about his efforts to secure a lasting peace in the region by supporting moderate Muslims with educational aid.

This book is powerfully written. I seldom recall reading such an excellent story about serving humanity in a selfless secular way that isn’t tied to a religious vocation.

The book’s title refers to a story that Mortenson learned from those who wanted him to slow down and stop acting like an American: The local people wanted to ally with him, and he was trying to run everything. Results improved when he stepped back and became an ally instead of an authoritarian leader.

Here’s the basis of the reference: Haji Ali, his first Balti friend, told Mortenson that he had to respect Balti ways. “The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger.” “The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest.” “The third time you share tea, you are family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die.”

May God bless the authors, their families, and those who work with Mr. Mortenson to expand the light of education to those who wish to see with it.

5 Stars Middle school grade levels must have this
In 1993 Greg Mortenson tried to climb K2 and stumbled into a poor village on the way down, where the Pakistan village chief and his people nursed him back to health. Their kindness involved him in their lives - and Mortenson built them a school against all odds - and went on to build over sixty schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. His adult book THREE CUPS OF TEA has been inspirational, so it’s especially notable to find the classic in a form young people can easily absorb. Middle school grade levels must have this.

3 Stars Amazon Messes Up
Amazon has put the wrong ISBN number on the product and has not differentiated between the regular book and the young adult book. The used book seller sent the book they thought I wanted.

I have told this to Amazon and the vendor and I have not had a satisfactory response from either- rather they blame each other. Just send me the adult version of the book and forget it!!!

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