TCS will have a One Book, One School program again, this time over the summer. Middle school students should read the original or young reader’s edition of Three Cups of Tea. A description of the three versions of the book, including one for younger children, can be found below.
Do you believe that we as individuals have the power to change the world?
Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Three Cups of Tea is the true story of one of the most extraordinary humanitarian missions of our time. In 1993, a young American mountain climber named Greg Mortenson stumbled into a tiny village high in Pakistan’s beautiful and desperately poor Karakoram Himalaya region. Ill, exhausted, and depressed after a failed attempt to scale the summit of K2, Mortenson regained his strength and his will to live thanks to the generosity of the people of the village of Korphe. Before he left, Mortenson made a vow that would profoundly change both the villagers’ lives and his own—that he would return and build them a school.
The book traces how Mortenson kept this promise (and many more) in the high country of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson was up against considerable odds. Not only is the region remote and dangerous, it is also a notorious breeding ground for Al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists. In the course of his work, Mortenson was kidnapped and threatened with death; he endured local rivalries, deep misunderstandings, jealousy, and corruption, not to mention treacherous roads and epic weather. What kept him going was his passionate belief that balanced, non-extremist education, for boys and girls alike, is the most effective way to combat the violent intolerance that breeds terrorism. To date, Mortenson’s Central Asia Institute has constructed fifty-five schools, and the work goes on.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Journey to Change the World…One Child At A Time – Young Reader’s Edition
The Young Reader’s Edition of Three Cups of Tea contains all the passion of Mortenson’s story in child-friendly language. Appropriate for readers in fourth grade and up, this version includes a foreword by Jane Goodall, an introduction by Mortenson, maps of the region, many black and white and color photos with captions, a timeline, a glossary that defines the bold words in the book, a Who’s Who of characters, and a reader’s guide. Also included is a Q & A with Mortenson’s twelve-year-old daughter Amira, which reveals a child’s perspective on the story.
Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea
Even the youngest readers—and listeners—will be captivated by the picture book adaptation of Mortenson’s story. It is told in the voice of the children of Korphe, the village where Mortenson built his first school. The simplified version of his journey is enhanced by beautiful detailed cut-paper collages that bring the characters to life. There are photographs and maps, as well as an Artist’s Note, at the end of the book.
