“Malala grew up with the smell of notebooks in the air.” Malala Yousafzai’s life to date is the subject of this amazingly comprehensive yet accessible and engaging picture book account that emphasizes her activism and interest in education from a young age, rooted in the progressive ideas of her family. Malala was already a well-known and outspoken advocate of education for girls in Pakistan when men from the Taliban boarded her school bus and shot her in the head three times. Her recovery, both difficult and extraordinary, has led to an even bigger global platform for this courageous and committed young woman, now only 20, who has already received the Nobel Peace Prize. More about Malala’s life, her native country of Pakistan, those who inspire her, and her ongoing work are included in photo-essays at the end of this inspiring, beautifully illustrated work. (Ages 7-10)

Through colorful and inspiring collage, readers learn the roots of Malala's life in her grandfather's Pakastani village, where women are inferior to men. When the government takes away girls' rights to go to school, Malala--with the encouragement of her father--begins to speak out using her blog, and later on, a growing worldwide platform. Despite the challenges Malala faces from society, the government, and groups, she continues to fight for girls' right to education around the world.

2018 honoree for the Mildred L. Batchelder award, ALSC Notable Children's Book 2018, International Literacy Association Children's Choices Reading List 2018.

Author is an elementary school teacher in Marseilles, France.

France. Originally published in French as Malala: pur le droit des filles à l'éducation by Éditions, an imprint of Rue du monde in 2015. English translation by Julie Cormier published in the United States by Charlesbridge in 2017.