Three Cups Of Tea : Young Reader's Edition

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Three Cups Of Tea : Young Reader's Edition

by Greg Mortenson (Goodreads Author)

3.67 · rating details · 5,411 ratings · 1,009 reviews

This young readers' edition of the worldwide bestseller Three Cups of Tea has been specially adapted and updated by Greg Mortenson to bring his remarkable story of humanitarianism up-to-date. It includes brand-new photos, maps, and illustrations, as well as a special afterword by Greg's twelve-year-old daughter, Amira, who has traveled with her father as an advocate for th...more

Hardcover, 144 pages

Published January 27th 2009 by Dial Books Young Rdrs (first published December 12th 2006)

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May 08, 2010

icybytes rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

I'm not really a fan of true stories. Fiction is the section of the library that I'm always poking around in. But THREE CUPS OF TEA, even the Young Reader's Edition, by Greg Mortenson, totally enveloped me in its adventure. Who knew that one mountain climber could experience so much, and help so many people? Well, apparently the Chief of this village knew.
I could not believe how sad this story was, while at the same time enlightening. While children all over the U.S. sit in classrooms with...more

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Jan 18, 2011

Hannahj rated it

· review of another edition

ok, so, i can tell the story is wrapping up. Greg is moving on to Afghanistan and has finished making his school in Pakistan,the school, i think, turned out well, except, sadly, terrorists had taken over, in the event 9/11. This event interests me deeply, it was held in New York, by many different cultures together, one of the cultures was Pakistan's. So U.S armies where killing innocent children back in Pakistan with Landmines. It tears Greg apart, but its true, apparently the bombs look like p...more

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Feb 06, 2012

Yumi Learner rated it

· review of another edition

Today I would love to write the review of "Three Coups of Tea". A couple of days ago, I read the book in English. It was very inspiring and motivating. Have you heard about the name, "Greg Mortenson"? To tell you the truth, before I read the book, I didn't know about him at all.

He is kind of an American hero. I think most of people know about Mother Teresa because of her great activities. I can tell you that Greg Mortenson looks like her because of his great activit...more

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Sep 24, 2011

Jan rated it

· review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had previously read a Young Adult version, akin to Readers’ Digest condensed book, and even that greatly impressed me with its description of Greg’s vision, his love for the simple folk he met and his enthusiasm to provide learning opportunities especially for girls.
This regular version was so much fuller and more enjoyable. I’d very hazy impressions of the mountainous regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan and found the descriptions of the mountains, the t...moreI thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had previously read a Young Adult version, akin to Readers’ Digest condensed book, and even that greatly impressed me with its description of Greg’s vision, his love for the simple folk he met and his enthusiasm to provide learning opportunities especially for girls.
This regular version was so much fuller and more enjoyable. I’d very hazy impressions of the mountainous regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan and found the descriptions of the mountains, the truly unpleasant narrow tracks with sheer rock faces on one side and precipitous drops on the other side were all too easy to visualize. It was excellent to have the two maps to refer to each time place names were mentioned, and unlike other books I’ve read recently they were all findable.
Having two obvious authors this was a different writing mode for me and I was sometimes confused but Relin’s explanations of his interviews with many of the characters mentioned in the story certainly added a wider perspective and this added to the enjoyment. Almost trying to convince readers of the authenticity of the stories.
The many references to events I knew about and familiar people such as Sir Ed Hillary, and the sadly deceased Mother Theresa added to my enjoyment. The loving descriptions of the Balti people aroused my interest and will likely lead to more reading about those folk in particular and the Muslim world in general.
I’ve been really saddened to read all the controversy about the veracity of Greg’s stories. Unfortunately the surrounding discussion surrounding tends to overlook the good the he has undoubtedly done. So what if he spent a portion of the CAI money on private jets to take him away on speaking tours. These tours are raising funds for the CAI in far greater sums than he spent. Value for money surely. Why are journalists so anxious to knock down anyone who tries to do good?
For once I find the book’s title perfect. Three Cups of Tea almost sums up the story completely.
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Sep 03, 2011

Isabella rated it

· review of another edition

This is a story about a man who helps Pakistan into a better place. It all started out when a man named Greg lost his way in Pakistan and ran into a village. Greg was horrified when he saw that they didn't have a school or didn't have that much money. In Pakistan, parents would send out their children to get money. Sometimes, if the children don't get enough money they would get punished. One day, Greg climbed up a mountain. He found a man on the mountain. He gave Greg three cups of tea. ...more

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Aug 21, 2011

Hal Carim rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Three Cups of Tea tells the dedicated life of mountaineer Greg Mortenson (co written with David Oliver Relin). Following Mortenson´s unsuccessful attempt to climb K2, he proceeds to dedicate his life to building schools for girls in remote villages in Pakistan and Afghanistan; sharing with us in the process key concepts of rural development project success - (1) Be High Context - The people are more important than the Task: Have Three Cups of Tea with the village elder - the first to be welcom...more

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Aug 17, 2011

Bela rated it

· review of another edition

The person we are subleasing from has an extensive book collection, and in my daily snooping I came across this book. The introduction (the story is not written by Greg Mortenson) alone brought tears to my eyes, not because it was sad, but because it made me grateful that people like "Dr. Greg" exist in this world. Three Cups of Tea, focuses on the work of a simple man, named Greg Mortenson, and the people who believed in him and his belief in the of education of children in the povert...moreThe person we are subleasing from has an extensive book collection, and in my daily snooping I came across this book. The introduction (the story is not written by Greg Mortenson) alone brought tears to my eyes, not because it was sad, but because it made me grateful that people like "Dr. Greg" exist in this world. Three Cups of Tea, focuses on the work of a simple man, named Greg Mortenson, and the people who believed in him and his belief in the of education of children in the poverty stricken areas of Pakistan, and later, Afghanistan. Greg Mortenson started off as a nurse and mountain climber who never reached his goal of summiting at the top of K2, and ended up as a humanitarian who started his journey by stumbling on a small town where he realized his new calling, building schools. In a land where girls had a very slim chance of getting an education, Greg was able to surpass the government and build his own schools though an organization called the Central Asia Institute. Through many donations, hours, and assistance, Greg was able to get this foundation off the ground and walking (not running, because that took a very long time) with his hard work ethic and network that supported his cause.

Greg's passion was the key to achieve his goal of building his first school and that same passion was maintained about every school he built. He haggled with many locals, was deceived, was delayed, but still, he never lost sight of his goal to build a school in a town that he promised to bring education to. The dedication of his wife, who hardly saw her husband since he was out of the country for months at a time throughout of the year, was a story of true love. Even though it is a small part of the story, her support was vital and she was a true partner, believing in what Greg was doing as much as he did. The patience of the village leader when the first school was being built in Korphe was also another vital factor in Greg's success. When Greg arrives with the supplies, Haji Ali, the leader and later mentor to Greg, decides that before they build the school, they must first build a bridge so the supplies can be carried over. When Greg seems frustrated that the school will not be built before his deadline, Haji Ali asks, what what is another year, when they have been waiting centuries for a school to come to their people? I think this mentality really prepared Greg for all his future builds and made him understand the people he was serving in a different manner. Growing up in a generation where immediate gratification is norm, the patience of Haji Ali is remarkable. Other than Haji Ali, it surprises me due to pure ignorance how many people in Pakistan were dedicated to bring education to a land where the government would not provide it for their children, their future. From the drivers, to random people hearing his speak at events, to the members of the Central Asia Institute board, each person was 100% dedicated to building schools for the young and nothing could waver that passion.

Although the end of the this story only touches on this subject, I think it was important for Greg to tell about the post 9/11 effect on his cause. "Ignorance is the enemy," was a chapter that really hit home, and makes you realize that all around the world, the lack of education is what causes problems between people, cities, and nations. After 9/11, Greg was plowed with hate mail from people in his own country for helping Muslims, or in their eyes, terrorists. Greg could have easily given up his mission for the safety of his family and himself, but he didn't. It revved him up to let people know about his work and the people he was helping, not to prove himself, but to help them understand that these people he was helping were also victims, not terrorists. Here America was, claiming to help rebuild a country they riddled with bombs and missiles, but in fact they left them behind to pick up the pieces on their own. How is a country supposed to rebuild itself without the help of their neighbors? More and more, I find America's "every man for themselves" mentality hindering to their growth. The way the Baltis embraced Greg as their own expresses the community feel of un-westernized world, and maybe the way it should be.

One final thought on this book is that really amazes me that there are people like Greg Mortenson out there, making a difference, without wanting the acknowledgement, only the donations to help support the cause. Some people do a lot of talking, but Greg does a lot of doing, and that is what makes him someone who has already left his mark on this world. The world is lucky to have an example like him; he is truly creating a socially responsible business in a world where most people are concerned about money, he is concerned about educating the future. I remember when I went to hear Muhammad Yunus speak, he said that the goal of a socially responsible business is not to make a profit, but to change a life, and that a socially responsible business would be successful because all it requires is compassion, a characteristic in any human being. Honestly, if for every 100 men, there was one Greg Mortensen, the world would be a much better place.(less)

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May 15, 2011

Emma rated it

· review of another edition

Three Cups of Tea was a very interesting book for me. When I started reading the book we had done research on Greg Mortenson. After watching the story on 60 minuets my view on the book changed. I found his story very interesting tho. It was heartwarming to read about his quest to make better lives and give these kids education. The book starts with Greg attempting to climb the mountain K2 in honor of his sister Christina. Upon getting lost he stumbled into a poor village. There he met the leader...more

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Mar 04, 2011

Steven rated it

· review of another edition

I thought three cups of tea was a decent book having read ti with my geography teacher and my entire 7th grade class i believe this book truly shows the true side of pakistan citizens and tribes this book was a good read and kept me busy for about a week i cant imagine how long the adult version is. i wish people however would stop stereotyping people as terrorists just because they are from the middle east or and stereotypes for that matter. But this book was one of the best i have ever read an...more

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Feb 04, 2011

Ann McKee rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: new-library-books

Greg Mortenson stumbled upon his life's work by accident. A nurse by training, he was attempting to climb K2 to honor the memory of his youngest sister, Christa. Christa had died of an epileptic seizure on her 23rd birthday. Greg failed to reach the summit of K2 and on the way down, he became separated from his climbing party. He had no food and no warm clothing until he wandered into the village of Korphe. The people welcomed him, gave him food, shelter and warm clothing, and nursed him ...more

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Jan 22, 2011

Lolene rated it

· review of another edition

Like my friend Leanne, I didn't think the writing was stellar, but I love, loved, LOVED the story. I read this young reader's version first last year, and I'm now reading the grown-up version, because I am so passionate about Greg Mortenson's cause: building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan in remote villages, one school at a time. His story is amazing...truly.

But I digress. Back to the writing in the youth version: it's written third-person, which I do not like so much in a book...more

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Jan 17, 2011

Jennifer rated it

· review of another edition

Greg Mortenson quotes Mother Teresa and lives by her devotion to help others, "What we are trying to do may be a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be less because of the missing drop". Providing an education to kids and more importantly girls, in Afghanistan and Pakistan is Greg's way to enhance peace and provide people with a reason to live over die.

I thought the story was great. I have true admiration for a man that cherishes education and others as much as he doe...more

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Dec 02, 2010

Donna rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2010

What started as one man’s quest to climb the world’s second largest mountain, K2, turns into a quest to build schools to educate the children of rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Greg Mortenson tells many stories of how he fell in love with the people (especially the children) of Pakistan and Afghanistan and his belief that all children, male or female, deserve an education. He also writes about fund-raising with its ups and downs, of building schools and all the proverbial red tape involved, and ...more

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Oct 14, 2010

Cindy rated it

· review of another edition

I haven't finished the book yet, but I am only finishing it to see what the fuss is all about. This book is so boring. It is the version for Young Adults and they deserve better writing than this. I keep wondering if something is in the adult version that is being left out of this version that would make it come to life. Are people giving it good rating because he built a school? But is it a good book? So far I am struck by how foolish he was. He gets an idea and gets a rich man to donate funds ...more

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Sep 20, 2010

Julianne rated it

· review of another edition

I read "The Young Reader's Edition" of this book, and that turned out to be a good thing. #1. It was abridged. #2. It included simple definitions for words and terms that "young readers" might not know.

This guy goes to Pakistan to climb a mountain, gets lost and ends up in a very small village, where the people nurse him back to health. One day he sees the village children all sitting together outside, quietly working, and without any adults. He asks, and ...more

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Sep 06, 2010

Zara rated it

· review of another edition

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

"With the first cup of tea, you are a stranger, with the second cup of tea you are a friend, and with the third cup of tea you are family." - Haji Ali

In the inspiring book of Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, is about one man's journey to making a difference one child at a time. Greg Mortenson is a mountain climber and works as an emergency room nurse. Greg was climbing the second tallest mountain in the world, K2 in Pakis...more

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Sep 02, 2010

Jeff rated it

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The book begins with Greg Mortenson coming down from the near peak of K2 (The second tallest mountain after Everest). He gets lost from his other climbers and stumbles into a village in remote Pakistan where he is able to get his health back. After seeing the poverty and lack of a school, he vows to build a school for the people.

Greg runs into several snags along the way, but is moved by the people he meets to finish the school and then eventually work full time for an organization w...more

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Aug 23, 2010

Laurel rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 12th-grade

This story is about a man named Greg Mortenson who wants to climb K2, the world's second highest mountain, in the Karakoram range of northern Pakistan, to lay his dead sister's necklace on the summit. However, when Greg got lost while trying to save another climber, he came across Korphe, a small village built on a shelf jutting out from a canyon. He was taken in by the chief elder of Korphe, Haji Ali. To repay the community for its hospitality, Mortenson promised to build a school for the vill...more

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Jul 05, 2010

Erin rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: adult, boy-main-character, multicultural, non-fiction, tween, teen

I really enjoyed this. A while ago I tried to read the "adult" version, and just didn't make it through. This book would be great to read and discuss with a group of kids learning about the middle east, or even about current events. Mortenson's passion and his honest account (even about his own stupidity or poor planning) make for an earnest and informative book. It definitely makes the point that there is truly nothing like a good education, and that somewhere, priorities have got...more

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Jun 09, 2010

Michelle Hankes rated it

· review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know what to expect at first, but it really enthralled me and I wanted to know more.

I ended up with the Young Reader's Edition from the library (not realizing it at first and I would also like to make note that in the book itself, the Young Reader's version is actually called the Young Adult version - there's a difference!). I found that this version moved everything along quickly, sometimes too quickly, but I got the most out of it because it re...more

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Jun 08, 2010

Jamie rated it

· review of another edition

This book is about an American climber named Greg Mortenson. He had went to climb K2, in memory of his sister who had died of a seizure. However when he had returned from a failed climb, he had gotten lost and wandered into a poverty stricken village called Korphe. This village is in Pakistan and they have no building for education. Most the time they do not even a teacher. When Greg had saw this he had decided to make a difference and make a school. However making this school had a gr...more

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May 29, 2010

Emu rated it

· review of another edition

I had to read the Young Reader's edition for a book discussion (and I didn't really have time to read the original version either). I thought it was fascinating to learn about the hugely different culture of Islam (something I was already interested in) and I really respected what Greg Mortenson was doing. I liked that he is trying to educate children, especially girls, in order to make necessary changes in the culture itself. Schools would ultimately make a real change in Pakistan and Afghanist...more

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Mar 14, 2010

T rated it

· review of another edition

Greg Mortenson is a man that started out to climb the worlds toughest and second highest mountain K-2 he didn't accomplish it, but other men have said he is trying to climb an even harder mountain: building school for children. He is a really great man. Sometimes celebreties are over-pestered with their fans. When they are home with their family, it is family time. It was amazing how the villages would try to bribe him to get schools. He later decided it was best to start the CAI (Central A...more

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Oct 22, 2011

Elisa rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ya-lit-2011-2012

Nonfiction

**** I found The Young Reader’s Edition of Three Cups of Tea to be very enjoyable. I had read the picture book Listen to the Wind before and thus knew about Greg Mortenson building a bridge and school in Korphe already. However, I didn’t know about all the other work Greg Mortenson has done in Afghanistan and Pakistan to help children receive an education. I was truly blown away with his perseverance. Mortenson’s message/belief that education can stop hatred is a messa...more

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May 28, 2011

Kathrine Holyoak rated it

· review of another edition

I have such conflicting feelings about this book! I was 1/4 of the way into it (and connecting) when my 6th grade daughter said, "Oh, my class talked about how sad it is that the book is not true." I was devastated. I felt emotionally gyped. I hopped online to fact check. I found the 60 Minutes story and attendent backlash. I was sad/mad at the author. However, I decided to continue reading it for the general principles, if not the actual details. I skimmed some, but read the m...more

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Nov 05, 2011

Michele rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

When I began this youth edition of Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time I found it quite engaging. Greg Mortensen's personal mission to provide schools for children in Pakistan is both inspiring and heart-warming. I found Greg's story all the more interesting because he showed basic human flaws, like getting lost in the mountains and being uncomfortable asking for money. I also liked that his mission doesn't appear to be motivated primarily by a missi...moreWhen I began this youth edition of Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time I found it quite engaging. Greg Mortensen's personal mission to provide schools for children in Pakistan is both inspiring and heart-warming. I found Greg's story all the more interesting because he showed basic human flaws, like getting lost in the mountains and being uncomfortable asking for money. I also liked that his mission doesn't appear to be motivated primarily by a missionary urge to change people's beliefs. It really felt like a story about one man who wanted to help a village get a school, and how he went about it against the odds. His story is a good example of how a regular someone can make a difference.

However, I have a few complaints about the youth edition of this book. My first is that after the beginning, the story seems to repeat itself. Of course, the story of Greg Mortensen is repetitive; building schools over and over. However, it might have been better to have shortened the book and used fewer, longer chapters or maybe section headings to highlight the important parts of the story. I think my students might get lost in the various trips to Pakistan.

Secondly, the chapter describing the 9/11 attacks is probably too vague. Children today do not remember the attacks, and many are more than a little fuzzy about why it happened and who is responsible. The book made it feel a bit like there is a man named Osama who was living in Afganistan and just didn't like Americans. While that is true on some level, it would probably be more helpful to explain at least to some degree why Greg was in danger for facilitating the building of schools for girls in some places.

I also think this book is a bit confused about the age of its audience. Amazon.com suggests this book for ages eight and up. It seems a little long and unclear in certain parts for 2nd or 3rd graders. At the same time, the picture book of this story, Listen to the Wind: the Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea, is probably too short and lacking in any real information for eight year olds. Certainly there are some eight year olds who would be interested and read this book, but in general I think this book would have more appeal to middle school aged children. However, then the book is back to not having quite enough information!

Additionally, there are now various allegations against Greg Mortensen and his story which bring the entire book into question for use with children. Perhaps older students could do research to come to their own conclusions.

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Apr 27, 2011

penelopewanders rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: work-related-read

Started this before leaving on holiday... checking it out for a class. Now back and resumed the read.
Little did I know when I started this and ordered it to use with a class what a controversy was to arise about this whole story. I will still use it with the class, but of course we will be discussing more than just the story and the themes I had initially intended.
I am saddened by the whole affair - whether the criticism is founded or not the credibility of this project is profoundl...more

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Mar 28, 2010

Farah rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: children, english-edition

Three Cups of tea-Young Reader Edition

As for me, this book is amazing.
But why I only gave it 4,5 instead of 5 stars?

Well, this book is written for young readers. And when I read this, I was bothering by so many questions that I didn’t find the answer on this book. Maybe they have it on the adult (original) edition. So, the missing 0.5 star is for the question that I got no answer on this book.

This book brought us stories about a man who followed his hea...more

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Oct 30, 2010

Jill rated it

· review of another edition

I thought this book was slow, but the purpose of it was admirable.

This is the Young Reader's version of the extremely slow-moving book of the same name for big people. It is a nonfiction book about Greg Mortenson and the schools that he built for impoverished communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He is a very inspiring man, what he did is something that I could probably never do, and I was happy to have read this book. The adult version was soooOOOooo slow - pages and pages of not...more

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Oct 02, 2010

Carol rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: multicultural-literature

Published:
Age Level: 10-18

This is such a great story about Greg Mortenson and his interest in building schools in Afghanistan. I read this book with a student I was tutoring over the summer. There is an adult version, a young adult version and a children's version. All these books tell the story of how this man fought many hardships to get these schools built. I thought it was interesting that once he knew what he wanted to do and tried to start raising funds, no one would hel...more

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About Greg Mortenson

Greg Mortenson is the co-founder of nonprofit Central Asia Institute, Pennies For Peace, and co-author of New York Times bestseller ‘Three Cups of Tea’ (www.threecupsoftea.com) which has sold 3 million copies, been published in 39 countries, and a New York Times bestseller for three years since its January 2007 release, and Time Magazine Asia Book of The Year.

Mortenson’s new book, Ston...more

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Books by Greg Mortenson

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time

Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace With Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Listen to the Wind: the Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea

Stones into Schools: Young Readers Edition

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