I am Malala : the Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize. This is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons. This story will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world. -- Publisher's description. 'I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after Midday. We'd finished for the day and I was on the open-back truck we use as a school bus. There were no windows, just thick plastic sheeting that flapped at the sides and a postage stamp of open sky at the back through which I caught a glimpse of a kite wheeling up and down. It was pink, my favourite colour' In 2009 Malala Yousafszai began writing an anonymous blog for BBC Urdu about life in the Swat Valley as the Taliban gained control, at times banning girls from attending school. When her identity was discovered, Malala began to appear in Pakistani and international media, campaigning for the freedom of education for all. On 9 October 2012 Malala was shot at point-blank range by a member of the Taliban whilst on the school bus. Remarkably, she survived the shooting. In April 2013, Time magazine named Malala as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. I Am Malala will tell the inspiring story of a schoolgirl who, determined not to be intimidated by extremists, faced the Taliban with immense courage. Malala will speak of her continuing campaign for the right of every girl to an education, shining a light into the lives of those children who cannot attend school. This is just the beginning .. Cover Title Page Dedication Prologue: The Day my World Changed PART ONE: BEFORE THE TALIBAN 1 A Daughter Is Born 2 My Father the Falcon 3 Growing up in a School 4 The Village 5 Why I Don’t Wear Earrings and Pashtuns Don’t Say Thank You 6 Children of the Rubbish Mountain 7 The Mufti Who Tried to Close Our School 8 The Autumn of the Earthquake PART TWO: THE VALLEY OF DEATH 9 Radio Mullah 10 Toffees, Tennis Balls and the Buddhas of Swat 11 The Clever Class 12 The Bloody Square 13 The Diary of Gul Makai 14 A Funny Kind of Peace 15 Leaving the Valley PART THREE: THREE BULLETS, THREE GIRLS 16 The Valley of Sorrows 17 Praying to Be Tall 18 The Woman and the Sea 19 A Private Talibanisation 20 Who is Malala? PART FOUR: BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH 21 ‘God, I entrust her to you’ 22 Journey into the Unknown PART FIVE: A SECOND LIFE 23 ‘The Girl Shot in the Head, Birmingham’ 24 ‘They have snatched her smile’ Epilogue: One Child, One Teacher, One Book, One Pen . . . Glossary Acknowledgements Important Events in Pakistan and Swat A Note on the Malala Fund Picture Section Additional Credits and Thanks Copyright "When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize. I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons. I Am Malala will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world."--Publisher's description