Malala is born at dawn in 1997 She is the first child of Ziauddin Yousafzai and Tor Pekai They live in the large city of Mingora which spreads out across the depths of the Swat Valley in Pakistan Their home is across the street from a school for girls that Ziauddin founded the Khushal School Malala’s father is not sorry that his child is a girl as some new fathers in their country might be Ziauddin is very fond of his Pashtun people but he is not as fond of some of their traditions Ziauddin asks friends and family to throw dried fruits candies and coins into her cradle as they would for a boy 6
Malala grows up with the smell of notebooks in the air It doesn’t take long for her first little brother to arrive He is named Khushal like his father’s school 8
The two children run together in the classrooms after school is over or play hide-and-seek with neighbors They fly kites on the rooftop and try to touch the sky Malala and Khushal look out at the city toward Mount Elum where the snow never melts 9
