The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - Young Reader's Edition

I read the adult version of this story when it was published and found the story so inspiring, that I kept talking to my children about it as I read. They were intrigued and wanted to read the story for themselves, but it was a bit daunting for children so young. What a treat to now have a children's book to share with them! They are very familiar with William, as we have followed his story through the Moving Windmills project, and were incredibly excited to finally read his story on their own.

The story is beautifully crafted and reads like a magical tale. It draws the reader in from the start. The intricate illustrations make the book even more compelling, inviting one to linger and enjoy each lovely page.

I highly recommend this book for young readers!

William's story has a lot in common with my birth place in the suburb of Ethiopia, not in connection with his highest ability of invention and creativity, but the similarity of his village life and incapacitated school with mine.
He is an amazingly inspiring young man I will always remember and will try to contact him to help me solve the same problems facing my school; on which I have already started working.
I would recommend this work to the community of Ras Bitwoded Mengesha Atikem High school in Bure, West Gojjam, Ethiopia. Also I would invite to read this book Dr. Ralph R. Wolf, Orthopedic Surgeon of Nashua, N.H. who is my teacher and friend; the Best Donor of financial aid to rebuild this school, helping in the feeding program of 80 poor students, Laura World Fund, also which assisted me in realizing my school project. It is one of the board's member who gave me William's book to read in 2011. She said 'there something common between you two'. I would also recommend my other teacher and friend, Dr Paul S. Baxt, Orthopedic Surgeon in Denver who is very much interested to assist in transforming my old school.

I ordered this for a high school grandson. I did not know that it was for a child !I thought it would be a complete text with many more pictures thus the higher price. A recent visit revealed that it was not as I expected and I had a very disappointed grandson! My effort to clear this up reveals that time for refund has elapsed !!! Meanwhile I am reading the edition that I ordered for myself thinking he is enjoying the same thing. He must have an edition like mine and I want you to send it NOW !!! If you must charge me and not accept the other in return obviously there is nothing I can do about it except to beware doing business like this again. Dr J Harley Galusha

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is an inspirational, well-written, beautifully illustrated book for kids and adults. A great and moving story for growing minds, young dreamers and engineers with a vision.

My 8 year old daughter and I have read The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind each night before bed for the last 4 nights. She and I are both enjoying the illustrations and the story. She was delighted that despite being teased and taunted for doing something different, William kept working on his project, and in the end became the Village hero. This is a very inspiring message, especially for kids who stand out as 'different' when in fact they are simply creative.
We also really love that the story is true. Thanks for writing this great book William.

This book is based on true life events and people, so it's very inspirational. It follows a poor, young African boy growing up in q farming village. He doesn't have enough money for school so he begins farming with his family, but a drought makes fruitful farming impossible. Instead of getting down about this, he discovers a way to create electricity in his village and bring water to the farmers. This book is a little serious for my kindergartener but a very good book still.

I loved this book. I connected with the book because I grew up with a dad who build computers that were as big as a refrigerator. He ended up working in Silicon Valley and never attended college. Then I married a man who is a mechanical engineer ,along with 2 boys that are engineers. This was all so real. My youngest has a room full of stuff. He tinkers and builds all the time. He currently attends college and is a junior in a Mechanical Engineering Program. It is very hard. I want him to read this and find hope in his dream!

I believe this is a very inspirational book for kids. I would recommend it to students in 2nd - 3rd grade. I can see teachers using this book to teach kids in social studies, science, and reading. I want to read the adult version now to find more details about his life.

There may be much to admire in this story. However, there's also a lot of darkness. While I'm not opposed to some darkness in a book for children, the dark parts were too graphically described in this book for sensitive children. Kamkwamba gives a vivid description of starving, complete with details for specific people. He tells about how friends urged him to kill his dog instead of allowing the dog to starve to death. In the end, to keep his friends from killing his dog for him, he took his dog into the woods and left him tied to a tree so that the dog would finish dying in that place.

It's the amount of detail in these scenes which became quite disturbing. These aren't brief bits which allow a child to glimpse the horror while keeping a bit of emotional distance. Instead, the book includes page after page of descriptive passages about the people who were literally starving to death, the agonizing decision about his dog, and what he found when he returned to the spot where he'd left the dog.

The School Library Journal review suggests this book for grades 4-7, but I consider this book highly inappropriate for children at the younger end of that range. Even some children at the upper end of that age range will find the book disturbing.

"The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" is a wonderful true story about a young boy, William Kamkwamba, in Malawi, Africa who grew up in the most impoverished circumstances, but used his ingenuity to last together a windmill out of junk and cast off parts so that his home could have enough electricity to burn a lightbulb after dark so that he could do his homework. The Malawians have many superstitious beliefs and magical tales and not a lot of exposure to science, which though whimsical and creative, probably helps to keep them from modernizing and achieving sustainability. Only 2 percent of Malawians had electricity, and even for those it was sporadic and unreliable.

William wrote of the periods of famine brought on by drought in which the "anguish was silent because no one had the energy to cry." After reading textbooks about windmills and their ability to create energy, William knew that this could also be a way for his family to have a water pump which would allow them to harvest twice a year and store grain for the long periods between crops. Willam's windmill was viewed with much suspicion and wonder, and was frequently damaged by bad weather or or vandals. But every time it broken down, he found a way to repair and improve it. He believed that with science they could invent and create and benefit their situation and eventually change Malawi. William had had to drop out of school after just one year of secondary education in order to help with the farming to support the family.

In 2006, some teachers from a training organization were inspecting the local library from which William had borrowed the science books, when they noticed the windmill. The head of the organization, Dr. Mchazime, visited and started asking questions, and William's invention was featured on a local radio show and then in various newspapers. Dr. Mchazime was so impressed with William that he helped to fund his continuing education. An American-run NGO became aware of the inventory and his windmill and Dr. Mchazime brought a TED application to William. Soon William was on his way to the global stage of TED, where he gave his speech and captured the attention of the world.

William believed that "if you want to make it all you have to do is try". He is now part of a youth culture in his country that believed they can develop their continent if they just put their minds and abundant resources together. It's a heart-warming story of not only the struggle to survive in a backward and undeveloped land, but the strength of the human spirit to overcome obstacles.

Kamkwamba has written his story for three age levels: adults, teens, and children. I heard about this book from a local high school English professor at my niece's middle school literacy night. The teacher was talking about the teen version of the book, but I decided to read the children's book with my son. We both enjoyed this true story.

I don't read much non-fiction with him, but this story was engaging. The pictures help bring to life the story of William, who lives in Africa. When draught comes, his community isn't able to grow crops, and they must begin eating only one meal a day.

William studies in the library and figures out how to make a windmill and generate electricity for his town. With the electricity, he is able to pump water up from the ground to help the crops grow. Stories about children making a difference are so inspiring. This book was well written and perfect for sharing with my 6 year old who is into inventing things at the moment.

[...]

I confess to being a big fan of the adult version of "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind." It is one of the most moving stories I've ever read. But how can you translate 30,000 words into a children's picture book?

William Kamkwamba (24) and co-author Bryan Mealer have simmered the adult memoir into a fine-cuisine reduction of just 1000 perfectly-chosen words, illuminated by the oil-and-cut-paper illustrations of the very talented illustrator Elizabeth Zunon, who grew up in the Ivory Coast. Her use of color, composition and form informs while it entertains. While the story is linear, kids will enjoy re-viewing the multi-hued spreads to spot the tremendous detail evident on every page.

Born and raised in Wimbe, Malawi, William Kamkwamba was just 14 when he was forced to drop out of high school for lack of school fees, because his family needed every kwacha (Malawian money) for food to survive a deadly famine. Against this life-and-death backdrop, William, determined to created a future for himself, went to a recently-built community lending library. There he saw a picture of a windmill on the cover of a 8th grade U.S. science textbook called Using Energy. The book said you can use a windmill to pump water or generate electricity. That would help his family overcome hunger through crop irrigation and save money on kerosene for light. The kerosene funds could then be spent on more food.

On the spot he decided to build a windmill, but he had no money or idea how to do so. While trying to solve this puzzle with the help of his loyal cousin and his best friend, he was mocked by members of his community who believed the boy was going mad, though William enjoyed the full support of his parents and six sisters. His quest to realize his windmill forms the core of "The Boy Who..." kid's edition.

Particular notice should be paid to the work of 27-year old illustrator Elizabeth Zunon, whose sublime technique captures every face and object, and the layering effects in the collage elements render the book virtually 3D, without any need for glasses. Some of her illustrations are representational yet stylized, and some are pure visual poetry, such how she depicts the wind emanating from the windmill's blades. She is clearly a rising star in children's book illustrations and seems to be charting a course in the vein of the renowned illustrated book artist Kadir Nelson.

Parents, your children six and up will love this book (younger, if you are doing the reading out loud). Teacher and librarians, this is sure to be popular with your students. More than just a story about building a windmill, this is about a family banding together to overcome extreme adversity. It's about a boy's journey from believing superstitions to becoming a young man of science. It's an uplifting story about Africa with a happy ending. But most of all, this is a story of a young man who came to embody courage, determination, hope and energy. And it's a true story! (William is now a environmental studies/engineering student at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.)

If you have young people in your life, (or even if you don't) I strongly recommend that you share this powerful and moving story with all of them, their schools and their libraries.

Summary: When a drought hit Malawi, William’s family began to starve. They barely made it through until the next harvest, but William was forced to drop out of school. He began hanging out at the library, checking out books on physics and engineering. When he saw a picture of a windmill, he realized he could create one for his family that would create electricity to pump water to their crops, and they would never have to worry about going hungry again. Using cast-offs from the local junkyard and the library books, he built his windmill. Eventually, his story traveled around the world, he did a TED talk, and ended up graduating from Dartmouth. William’s story has been written up in an adult book and a picture book, but this version is for ages 10 and up.

Pros: This story is amazingly inspirational for anyone who thinks one person can’t make a difference, or that you need money and power to contribute to the world. William tells his story in his own funny, honest way. Readers will find the descriptions of schools and other conditions in 21st century Africa eye-opening.

Cons: The chapters about the famine were so painful, I finally skipped over one. And some of the technical descriptions are a bit much if you’re not an avid physicist.

THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer tells the inspiring story of a young African boy who turned junkyard scraps into a working windmill to generate electricity for his family’s impoverished farm in Malawi.

This Young Readers Edition of Kamkwamba’s well-known adult memoir published in 2009 is likely to spark the scientific interests and imagination of middle-grade students. Readers are gradually drawn into William’s life in his small, rural African village. American children will be amazed at the lack of education and technology available to young William. They will also be moved by his determination and initiative.

While most middle-grade readers aren’t likely to pick up this book on their own, this compelling memoir would be a wonderful opportunity for librarians to collaborate with classroom teachers. Consider using this book as an interdisciplinary, whole-grade reading experience connecting language arts, social studies, and science curriculum.

Readers will enjoy watching the author’s 2009 TED talk at http://goo.gl/ADIHtg.

Be sure to explore the Moving Windmills project at http://www.movingwindmills.org/.

Published by Dial Books for Young Readers, Penguin Young Readers Group. ARC provided by publisher.

I was very impressed with the author as someone who would not ever give up. His perseverance was amazing in the face of obstacle after obstacle. The country's years of famine and drought were heartbreaking. This story is a tribute to one man's efforts to succeed in the face of adversity. I was also impressed with his willingness to help all the members of his family and community. Overall this is a very uplifting tale and a tribute to what a person can accomplish.

There is a chapter halfway through about killing his dog. It goes on for several pages. My 10yr old son burst into tears and now hates this book. I don't understand why it was necessary to include in the young readers version. Had I known in advance, I'd have had him just skip that chapter as it doesn't seem a vital part of the book at all.

What an inspiring and amazing story! I work for a library and was told of this story through an internet meme. I put it on my "to read" list and forgot until I came across it again. This is a must read for all ages, reminding us to count our blessings and dream big no matter where we live or who we are. I'm recommending this to my eleven year old son right away. I wish you all the best, William!!

We used this book to focus on the character trait perseverance in our elementary school. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind fits that description perfectly. I absolutely love this story and our students have been inspired by William's courage and never give up attitude. I sometimes think about where the kids I work with will be when they are adults and I imagine some of them might have hard moments and truly struggle. So thankful for books that help me mentor and guide students to NEVER GIVE UP! Reading books about determination and perseverance is a message children need to hear A LOT. I hope to find more books as awesome as this one about overcoming obstacles and hardships.

Already at a very young age, William Kamkwamba dreamed of building things like radios and trucks, and then taking them apart. As a teenager, driven by hunger pangs induced by drought and the resulting devastation to Malawi's crops, William dreamed of building a windmill to produce electricity and pump water.

He decided he would go to the library down the road and learn how to turn those dreams into reality. So he worked hard and used those library books to teach himself how to build a windmill. The village people thought William was crazy when they saw him playing around with a bunch of trash. Could such a rudimentary contraption really make a difference?

This picture book version of the adult best seller shines the spotlight on an inspiring teen who worked hard against all odds to bring electricity and water to his village. The compelling story provides an opportunity to introduce young learners to a number of economics concepts, including scarcity, natural resources, and innovation. One can only hope that more projects such as the one started by William will reduce the vulnerability of people in developing countries to drought and hunger.

An amazing nonfiction book about perseverance. I would recommend this to anyone who likes science. In this book, young William Kamkwamba has a dream. His dream is to successfully irrigate his hometown so no one would need to walk all the way to the crowded village well to get water. This would also let his family have two crop harvests a year. William overcomes many challenges in this book, including teasing, a famine, a dog, and a TED talk. Overall, a great book.

I felt like it was very slow and took a long time to really form what the whole book was about. A difficult read for younger audiences but still a magnificent book. It really brings emotions from the depth of your soul you never knew you had. I would Reccomend this to teens and adults!

This illustrated book is a children's version of Kamkwamba and Nealer's 2009 best-selling adult book of the same title. It was selected as one of the 2013 Best Books for Younger Children by the Children's Africana Book Award jury. Reviewer David Eaton especially praised the many lovely illustrations by Liz Zunon for offering "a respectful portrayal of a farming family and villagers in Malawi, with glimpses into their daily lives and work. ... It sets in simplified relief a few of the tremendous environmental and developmental challenges that shape the lives of many millions." For the complete review and more information about the Children's Africana Book Awards see [...]

This children's story of William Kamkwamba's young life is truly inspiring. As a young boy, he endures famine & poverty yet still he still manages to educate himself after being forced to drop out of school. He teaches himself to build a windmill out of other people's trash that will generate electricity and irrigate his father's crops and feed his family. He is a remarkable example to everyone that you can succeed under ANY circumstance!

I really enjoyed this! It's an engaging glimpse of a life that is completely different than the life we know here in the US - if you think YOU face challenges... William Kamkwamba has a delightful voice and you'll root for him all the way through the epilog.

The overall message of this novel inspires me to recommit myself to my dreams and aspirations. Trial, error and disappointments are not the end, but the beginning of discovery. I will use the sentence, "If you want to make it, all you have to do is try" as my motivation. I enjoyed the book.

I read this book to my toddler, but I grabbed it out of the young readers section in the library. It is a well written story with wonderful illustrations that would be great for young readers and the preschool crowd. We'll read this over and over again. I love stories about children getting creative and problem-solving.

In this true story, young readers watch as William Kamkwamba constructs a windmill in Malawi, creating electric wind. With lovely cut paper illustrations and a story of discovery, this engaging picture book will catch the interest of young readers, ages 7-10.

Beautiful paper craft illustrations set this book apart. The story is moving. I wish there was a glossary and pronunciation guide included to explain some of the foreign words, though. The afterword is inspiring. I recommend the title.

I was selected as a mystery reader for a preschool class full of five year olds. While yes, I had done many presentations before, I must admit I was nervous. When I first read this book I was completely engaged and mesmerized by its illustrations. Although I can say that for my experience, I was uncertain about how it would translate to the children. To my great surprised it was received extremely well. All the children were completely engaged and curious about the location of where this boy lived. The book completely grabs the attention of children right off the bat with fun descriptions about common technologies, that it led to further conversation about geography and strife all around the world. After funny moments, scattered laughter, sound effects and curious questions, I had the great pleasure of telling the children that the book was based on a real person, which also allowed me to reinforce the power of dreaming to the class. Not to brag, but I think I was the best mystery reader ever, perhaps it had to do with the book... wink wink. Loved it.

as an educator, i see tremendous value in this book, both for children as well as adults.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind respects youth. it shows readers (adults and children alike) just how much kids are capable of- what real kids can do.

also, it plants the seeds of cross-cultural respect and global community. finally! a book that shows Africans helping Africans, not others jumping in to save the day (although there's nothing wrong with this ... it seems to be the most common narrative told, but more importantly, not the only one I want my children exposed to). This book shows a boy, William, whose innovation and drive fuel his own international success.

read this with your children and they'll understand that they have the power to change the world-- but they'll also understand that others too, share that incredible power.

although my children (3 years) are still a bit young to fully understand... they are fascinated with the art work, as am i-- it's beautiful.

happy reading!

I have watched the TED talks by William, the boy in this children's book. The story, the messages, the artwork are unique and inspirational for children everywhere to find how to connect their imagination with the real world. To follow their intuition and passions, and trust their wisdom. Actually a great read for all because every parent and adult needs to remember that their dreams to provide and create a healthy world for their loved ones are possible to reach. And if ideas seem crazy, just might be ingenious solutions.

The children's version of this story is beautiful and well-written, with some of the most stunning illustrations you've ever seen. It's is one of those rare children's books that is also delightful for adults to read over and over again. The story sends about a million great messages (without being at all in-your-face about it), including an important one about perseverance. My daughter absolutely loves it, and was inspired just recently to make her own version of a windmill out of wood and duct tape. We haven't quite got it generating power yet!

If you want a good book to read, this is the one. I am a slow reader and it took me a good three hours to read but it was defintally worth the time. the the aurthor develops the chareters is one of the best. Tully a masrepece.

I have been on the hunt for multicultural children's books that will expand the worlds of the children in my life. The children's edition of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is such a gem. Not only is it visually stunning, but the distilled and yet profound story will teach children (and adults) about the power of creativity, determination, desire to make a difference, and the magic of books. William is a real life hero (I've had the privilege of meeting him and hearing about his windmills), one who will inspire children and adults alike. I highly recommend you buy this book for every young child in your life.

One of those rare books that just make you smile when you read it. Truly amazing to hear this young mans story, and it gives me hope that there are still people out there in the world still doing great things even living under such hardship... I never write reviews for books, but decided to for this one. Watch his documentary, as well as his speech at TED talks! Then buy this book. I read it in 2 days and enjoyed it very much. I'm sure you will too.

i knew about the story of William through his TED Talk in TED Global in Africa and i thought that it would not be possible to reflect his spontaneous character and curiosity behind his achievements in another format, and in any case a book.
I must admit this book does. It is beautifully illustrated, the colors and the illustration style seem inspired by African artisan paintings which i think it is wonderful. Also the text and the images are perfectly matched, both graphically and meaningfully.
This book blows your mind for few seconds and i believe William is a new standards of 21st century children's super heros.

On the surface, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a story of necessity being the mother of invention--But the starkness of the necessity, and imagination and spirituality that motivate this young man's inventiveness are what make this story so moving--he literally performs magic. The illustrations here are also perfect: so magical, and yet to earthly--so captivating for eyes young and old, although it may difficult to read through the tears it may bring to them.

This story is beautifully illustrated and inspiring on so many levels. It's also full of the kinds of messages I want all of the children in my life to hear: that creative ideas can change the world, and that when you're trying something new, it's okay if everyone thinks you're crazy. While this book is written for "young readers" I think adults will find a lot of inspiration in it as well.

If you want to be inspired, this is the book for you! This is perfect for today's kids -- to give them the inspiration, the inspiration that they can achieve a lot of things and change their world, even change the world!

This is a truly enchanting, real-life story about how the ingenuity and courage of one boy turned around the future of his community. This version is beautifully written with amazing illustrations that capture the magical feel of the tale which is definitely not just only for children.

A great book to share with your children! Rather than reading the actual book of 300 pages to your child - which may be cumbersome - this extracts all of the inspiration and dedication that the original book speaks of. This story is sure to plant that seed of inspiration.

If i could put it in social networking terms, this book is the 'share button' to the most inspiring piece of content you will ever encounter. The illustrations are beautiful, and it is my sincere wish that every child in the world can see this, and BELIEVE that he can make something great out of nothing.

Even if this book had been fiction, it would have been an inspiring and beautiful story. Knowing that it is actually true, and that William and his windmill are out there, somewhere in the world, makes it an absolutely thrilling and touching story; a great reminder for the young and not so young of how courage and imagination are paramount in life, capable of changing our life and the lives of people around us.

This book is beautifully written and beautifully illustrated in a way that makes William's success story that much more powerful. This curious little boy with limited resources will inspire every child to be creative and daring despite doubts from others. I highly recommend this to both children and adults alike!!

This is an incredible story story of human creativy and genius in the face of adversity. An inspiring tale that can teach everyone a lesson, told in a beautifully illustred narrative for children. Kids stand most to benefit from learning to believe the sky is the limit.

This was really a delight to read. It captures such an important story so elegantly, and will inspire young people to believe in their capacity both to accomplish the impossible, and to find a way to change the world around them. Highly recommended!!

I loved everything. The innovation, the supporters of kambwamba and more. He innovates and instead of going to school, he went to his primary school library and learned a lot of things. Such as, physics mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.

Borrowed this picture book from our library to share while studying Africa. The illustrations are beautiful and a great complement to an incredible book that is told so well. This book was selected by a child to be read to the group and they were so captivated by the story they continued to creep closer and closer with anticipation until I had almost the entire group in my lap. As an adult, I enjoyed the story. The hero is one children can look up to. He is a wonderful example of persistence, overcoming obstacles and seeking to love our neighbors well. This is a book that I would like to add to our family library and it will definitely make more appearances for read alouds. For anyone who is a fan of Charlotte Mason, I consider this a lovely living book.