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Set in a Ugandan village, Lilian has learned to shrink herself to fit other people’s ideas of what a girl is. In her village a girl is not meant to be smarter than her brother. A girl is not meant to go to school or enjoy her body or decide who to marry. Especially if she is poor. Inspired by and written in consultation with young Ugandan women,
I Am Change is the tragic but empowering story of how a young girl finds her voice and the strength to fight for change. "Young adult books such as this one need to be on the bookshelves of schools, of libraries and in the hands of young girls. Suzy Zail has given a voice to women that may not have had the opportunity to speak up, and that is a triumphant achievement." - Shelley Carter, Underground-writers.org Download the Learning Resources here. See the Contact page to arrange a school visit.
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Testimonials: ‘Suzy is without doubt one of the most engaging authors we have invited to our school. Suzy's stories captured the imaginations of the audience, ranging from Year 8s reading World War II fiction, to VCE students studying Politics and Literature. In particular, they were drawn to her stories of the writing process, and the personal nature of her writing. Due to Suzy's relaxed, friendly style, students felt comfortable to ask questions, with many hanging around afterwards to talk further! Conversations with students since Suzy's visit highlight the lasting impact her words had on our cohort. I cannot recommend Suzy as a speaker highly enough.’
Suzy puts her heart and soul into her books and her genuine belief in what she is doing comes through in her talks. Through her young Adult novels, The Wrong Boy and Alexander Altman A10567, Suzy encourages students to be interested and concerned about the holocaust in the hope that such an atrocity never happens again. Her insights and discussion about her most recent book, I Am Change, highlights the need for students to take action on issues such as gender equality and poverty and be the change they seek in the world.
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