Greg Mortenson has spoken to thousands of U.S. university and high school students about his bestselling “Three Cups of Tea,” the inspirational story of his work building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan to “promote peace, one school at a time.”
But when Mortenson visited a fourth-grade class in Houston, he realized the kids were struggling with the adult-level book. That prompted his wife, Tara Bishop, to suggest once again that he ...
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Shontzler is one of the few, long-time professionals the Chronicle has; local and state education, her main beat. The story is more like an update on Mortenson's achievements, this one a natural extension of his single-mindedness to facilitate the building of local schools in a troubled part of the world. By focusing on Amira Mortenson, Schontzler give credence to this effort: a book that better communicates to American children the importance of the small, but significant role they play in helping with the "Pennies for Peace" fund-raising program. What better spokesperson could there be for the project than Mortenson's daughter, seventh grader, Amira?
Unless the spark for an article emanates from a police blotter, small town newspapers rarely offer critiques of local heroes. Then again, Mortenson has gone beyond local:Facilitating the building of rural schools amongst impoverished, closed cultures is one thing, but within countries fraught with international intrigue and erratic military action (without front lines) places him at a whole other level. Stories about guys like Mortenson are practically incomprehensible to any of us, especially denizens of small town America. OF NOTE: Another local story about Mortenson is a so-called movement to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize ("so called" because such nominations are supposedly secret).