Who Was...?: Who Is Malala Yousafzai?

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

One girl’s incredible fight for the right to learn

On October 9, 2012, a masked gunman boarded a school bus in Pakistan, asked for fifteen-year-old Malala Yousafzai, and shot her in the head. In critical condition, Malala was flown to a military hospital before being transferred for further care in England. Miraculously, she survived.

Malala was targeted by the Taliban for a blog she began in 2009 for the BBC, writing about how hard it was for girls in her area to attend school. Now a global advocate for millions who are denied an education, Malala has become the symbol of hope for her own generation. She is an inspiring figure, and still a kid herself, making her story an important addition to the Who Was…? series.