This biography for younger readers describes the life of Malcolm X, the African American religious and political leader who was prominent in a movement to unite black people throughout the world. The book presents an overview of the civil rights movement and documents Malcolm's role as an advocate for black separatism, black nationalism, and the Black Muslim movement. Highlights of Malcolm X's life include the following: (1) move to Harlem (New York) from Omaha (Nebraska) in 1942 at the age of 17; (2) imprisonment for a 7-year jail term for armed robbery in 1946; (3) conversion to the Muslim Nation of Islam in 1949; (4) release from prison in 1952; (5) assignment as minister of the Muslim temple in Harlem in 1954; (6) appointment as the first national minister for the Nation of Islam in 1963; (7) rift with and silencing by the Nation of Islam in 1963; (8) break with the Nation of Islam and founding of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) in 1964; and (9) assassination in New York in 1965. The book includes a civil rights movement time line, a timetable of events in Malcolm X's life, suggested reading, and a list of 42 sources. (AF)