My name is Malala. This is my story. Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old when the Taliban took over her homeland, stating that music was a crime. That women were not allowed to go to the market. That girls should not go to school.

Growing up in a once peaceful area of Pakistan that changed due to terrorism, Malala learned from her parents to fight for her beliefs. And so she fought for the right to education. On October 9, 2012, she nearly paid for her struggle with her life: she was shot almost point-blank on a school bus as she was returning home.

No one expected her to survive. Now she is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. In this edition of her autobiography for young readers, which includes exclusive photographs and other materials, we learn first-hand the incredible story of a girl who knew from a young age that she wanted to change the world – and she did.

Malala's inspiring story will help you see a different world and will make you believe in hope, in truth, in miracles, and in the ability of one single person – especially a young one – to bring about change in their society and beyond.

Malala Yousafzai began her campaign for the right of girls to education at the age of ten, when the Swat Valley was being attacked by terrorists and education was under threat. Using the pen name Gul Makai, she wrote about her life under the Taliban regime for BBC Urdu.

Malala also volunteered in a New York Times documentary about education in Pakistan. She used every opportunity to speak publicly about peace and the right of every child to education. In October 2012, Malala was targeted by the Taliban and shot while returning from school. She survived the attack and continues her campaign for education.

In 2011, in recognition of her courage and contributions, Malala was nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize and won the first National Youth Peace Prize of Pakistan. She is the youngest person ever nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, which she was awarded in 2014.

She has received many other awards, including the International Children's Peace Prize in 2013, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, and the Ambassador of Conscience Award from Amnesty International.

Malala now lives in Birmingham, England, and continues to fight for global access to education through the Malala Fund, a non-profit organization that invests in community programs and supports education advocates around the world.

Patricia McCormick is a two-time finalist for the U.S. National Book Award for Literature. She is the author of several acclaimed novels for young readers, including Cut, Sold, and Never Fall Down. She lives in New York City with her husband.