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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
I'm not sure if this is a real memoir, it's more a "here's what I did and how I did it... oh, yeah, and here's some about my life, too" type book. Kamkwamba's ability to bring to life for us what it was like to grow up in Malawi is remarkable. His voice - which never really seems to age - is that of a wide-eyed, excitable boy who just has this ability to figure stuff out.
When I read the book, at times I heard my father's voice talking about some scientist or other "figuring stuff out". I think he'll like this book, because (to him) it's about taking a little bit of knowledge and by trial and error making something that works. Others will read this and be inspired by the same story, perhaps less enthralled with the scientific aspects.
The biggest problem I had was, as I mentioned before, the voice doesn't age. While it was clear that time was passing (we start when he's young and progress to what I'm guessing is early manhood, although that's not totally clear), there was no sense that his aspirations, his worldview or his inner life aged. Now, that might be in part due to his life's circumstances (surviving the famine, for example) or it might be due to the way in which his coauthor helped him shape the story. In it, he sounds eternally in his late teens. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it did occasionally niggle at me.
My guess is that people will read this and be inspired. Inspired to do what is the question - will they help more Williams? find ways to help the countries in which these Williams live? go off and be inventors themselves? It will be interesting to see what happens as this book (and William's story) reaches a wider audience.
(Free ARC provided by publisher)
When I read the book, at times I heard my father's voice talking about some scientist or other "figuring stuff out". I think he'll like this book, because (to him) it's about taking a little bit of knowledge and by trial and error making something that works. Others will read this and be inspired by the same story, perhaps less enthralled with the scientific aspects.
The biggest problem I had was, as I mentioned before, the voice doesn't age. While it was clear that time was passing (we start when he's young and progress to what I'm guessing is early manhood, although that's not totally clear), there was no sense that his aspirations, his worldview or his inner life aged. Now, that might be in part due to his life's circumstances (surviving the famine, for example) or it might be due to the way in which his coauthor helped him shape the story. In it, he sounds eternally in his late teens. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it did occasionally niggle at me.
My guess is that people will read this and be inspired. Inspired to do what is the question - will they help more Williams? find ways to help the countries in which these Williams live? go off and be inventors themselves? It will be interesting to see what happens as this book (and William's story) reaches a wider audience.
(Free ARC provided by publisher)
This would be a great book to teach to a middle school class, or for any youngster particularly interested in science. Meanwhile, it's an interesting read for anyone else, and offers an excellent snapshot into Malawi's recent history, famine, and poverty in general.
This was such an inspiring story. A boy who lived with very little, was able to use his resources to help his entire village and eventually many more people. He used his curiosity to help drive him in discovering new things.
There were some slow parts of the book, but overall it was a good, light read.
There were some slow parts of the book, but overall it was a good, light read.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Great selection for kids who enjoy biographies and are curious about how things work. A good balance of storytelling and science!
My son in 6th grade read this book and gave it 5 stars. I agree!
The narrative voice was straightforward and matter-of-fact, but also conveyed the thoughtfulness and patience of the storyteller. The first half of the memoir described William's life in Malawi, from the days of care-free independence, hunting for birds with his faithful dog, to the months of heartwrenching hunger and fear, witnessing the horrors of famine. His account of growing up without electricity, running water, or even school is sure to make an impression on young readers.
The second half of the book centered around William's efforts to build the windmill. In this day and age, when most of us take electricity for granted, it is eye-opening to see how revolutionary a single light bulb can be, a means to achieve freedom from darkness. William's motivation and ability to self-learn from books written in English, without even a solid grasp of the English language, was remarkable. The extent to which he re-purposed the discarded junkyard scraps of an abandoned tobacco plantation was extraordinary to say the least. Without the proper tools, William even made his own tools!
I appreciated that the book also talked about William's ideas and inventions that didn't work out. It's important for young readers to see that even with William's winning combination of interest, talent, hard work, and ingenuity, he had some defeats, too. Impressively, William's goals never wavered; every innovation was designed to solve a particular problem in his home or community, and he sought to improve the lives of his neighbors and fellow Malawians.
I really enjoyed the glossy color photos. Also, the Netflix movie is a great dramatization, a worthy supplement to this book. I watched the movie as an introduction, then I read this book to get the full true story, and now I am going to read the original version ([b:The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope|6945233|The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope|William Kamkwamba|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347321733l/6945233._SY75_.jpg|6609046], not the young readers edition), to learn even more about William and Malawi!
The narrative voice was straightforward and matter-of-fact, but also conveyed the thoughtfulness and patience of the storyteller. The first half of the memoir described William's life in Malawi, from the days of care-free independence, hunting for birds with his faithful dog, to the months of heartwrenching hunger and fear, witnessing the horrors of famine. His account of growing up without electricity, running water, or even school is sure to make an impression on young readers.
The second half of the book centered around William's efforts to build the windmill. In this day and age, when most of us take electricity for granted, it is eye-opening to see how revolutionary a single light bulb can be, a means to achieve freedom from darkness. William's motivation and ability to self-learn from books written in English, without even a solid grasp of the English language, was remarkable. The extent to which he re-purposed the discarded junkyard scraps of an abandoned tobacco plantation was extraordinary to say the least. Without the proper tools, William even made his own tools!
I appreciated that the book also talked about William's ideas and inventions that didn't work out. It's important for young readers to see that even with William's winning combination of interest, talent, hard work, and ingenuity, he had some defeats, too. Impressively, William's goals never wavered; every innovation was designed to solve a particular problem in his home or community, and he sought to improve the lives of his neighbors and fellow Malawians.
I really enjoyed the glossy color photos. Also, the Netflix movie is a great dramatization, a worthy supplement to this book. I watched the movie as an introduction, then I read this book to get the full true story, and now I am going to read the original version ([b:The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope|6945233|The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope|William Kamkwamba|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347321733l/6945233._SY75_.jpg|6609046], not the young readers edition), to learn even more about William and Malawi!
My overall appreciation of this book is the same as it was for [b:The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Young Readers Edition|22504703|The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Young Readers Edition|William Kamkwamba|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403194068l/22504703._SY75_.jpg|41951493], which I also gave 5 stars, so my review of the content is basically the same. Here, I will just note the differences between this book (the original version) and the Young Readers Edition.
The Young Readers Edition is an excellent re-telling of this book at a level that is appropriate for middle grade readers. There are lots of familiar passages that are shared between the two editions. This original version, however, tells us more about William's father Trywell, his Uncle John, and Chewa culture. We also get a broader understanding of Malawian history and politics, and the book touches upon more mature topics such as AIDS, prostitutes, and watching a loved one almost die from malaria. Some of the additional content include elements of violence.
Unlike the glossy color photos in the Young Readers Edition, the photos in this book are black and white and interspersed in context, with more extensive captions. Many of the photos are the same, but this book also has additional photos not included in the Young Readers Edition.
It's worth noting that this book was published in 2009, 6 years before the Young Readers Edition was published in 2015. The epilogue to the Young Readers Edition has more recent updates that aren't in this book, including William's graduation from Dartmouth. But, the edition I read of the original version had an "About the Book" section, written in 2010, that gave a detailed and enjoyable account of William's book tour in America, including entertaining details not mentioned in the Young Readers Edition.
Incidentally, in case you're interested, the Netflix movie is based on this book, so there are scenes in the movie that are recognizable from this version, but not the Young Readers Edition. The movie took some poetic license, but generally stayed very close to actual events.
The Young Readers Edition is an excellent re-telling of this book at a level that is appropriate for middle grade readers. There are lots of familiar passages that are shared between the two editions. This original version, however, tells us more about William's father Trywell, his Uncle John, and Chewa culture. We also get a broader understanding of Malawian history and politics, and the book touches upon more mature topics such as AIDS, prostitutes, and watching a loved one almost die from malaria. Some of the additional content include elements of violence.
Unlike the glossy color photos in the Young Readers Edition, the photos in this book are black and white and interspersed in context, with more extensive captions. Many of the photos are the same, but this book also has additional photos not included in the Young Readers Edition.
It's worth noting that this book was published in 2009, 6 years before the Young Readers Edition was published in 2015. The epilogue to the Young Readers Edition has more recent updates that aren't in this book, including William's graduation from Dartmouth. But, the edition I read of the original version had an "About the Book" section, written in 2010, that gave a detailed and enjoyable account of William's book tour in America, including entertaining details not mentioned in the Young Readers Edition.
Incidentally, in case you're interested, the Netflix movie is based on this book, so there are scenes in the movie that are recognizable from this version, but not the Young Readers Edition. The movie took some poetic license, but generally stayed very close to actual events.
Adult (definite uses in a junior high/hs classroom)
Using only scrap materials and an old library book, a boy in Malawi builds a windmill to power his family's home.
Inspirational but not sappy.
Using only scrap materials and an old library book, a boy in Malawi builds a windmill to power his family's home.
Inspirational but not sappy.
The boy who harnessed the wind is the story of William Kamkwamba’s imaginative growing up in Malawi. In the beginning of the book, we learn a little about Malawi: its customs, beliefs and practices. While life if very different for people in Malawi, we don’t get the sense that our lives are so totally different, as if we’re on two different planets. Kamkwamba relates the oppressiveness of the Malawian government and how its actions affect the people, particularly the farmers. When country is devastated by a drought, the government does little to help its people and they have to do whatever they can to have something to eat.
At the same time, William is trying to get an education. Because there are no crops, his family has no money for school. William seems to already know that school isn’t the only place of learning and that our education shouldn’t rely only upon institutions, well, except for the library. His inquisitiveness eventually leads him to develop a small windmill for his family, a source of light in their home after the sun has set. This simple invention leads to a life that even he could not otherwise have imagined.
The boy who harnessed the wind is really told quite simply. There is nothing that is hard to believe and nothing extraordinary yet it is quite an inspiration.
At the same time, William is trying to get an education. Because there are no crops, his family has no money for school. William seems to already know that school isn’t the only place of learning and that our education shouldn’t rely only upon institutions, well, except for the library. His inquisitiveness eventually leads him to develop a small windmill for his family, a source of light in their home after the sun has set. This simple invention leads to a life that even he could not otherwise have imagined.
The boy who harnessed the wind is really told quite simply. There is nothing that is hard to believe and nothing extraordinary yet it is quite an inspiration.
William Kamkwamba's story is fascinating. At the beginning, the African accent of the narrator was challenging and it was not so interesting, with strange stories of superstition and magic. But the story picked up and I grew accustomed to Chike Johnson's accent and appreciate the authenticity he gives the book. He really is a great narrator.
William provides some history of Malawi along with his family history and his own life story. His work on the windmill doesn't come about until roughly halfway through the book. The scientific/technical jargon regarding his windmill and inventions was tedious for me. I think I would understand better by actually seeing. William's family is Christian but in general the Malawian people are superstitious and believe in magic, so much so that they started blaming William and his windmill for the drought.
William is such a great role model: humble, hardworking, inquisitive, optimistic and showing great perseverance during hardship. The severe drought and famine that struck Malawi in 2001 left his parents unable to afford his education. Unwilling to give up on his dream, he pursued self-education by using the small quantity of donated books in his local library. The drought/famine section is long and agonizing to read, but it's part of his story and greatly impacted him.
One story in particular that I enjoyed about the history of Malawi involves the Yao (a Muslim people group) from Mozambique. The Yao would cross large Lake Malawi and raid villages, capture the Chewa (the largest ethnic group in Malawi) and enslave them. They would sell any who survived the voyage, to the Portuguese. Missionary David Livingstone helped end the slavery and reconcile the two groups. He also helped build good schools, missions, and hospitals, leading to prosperity. Today the Yao and Chewa are on friendly terms. I need to check out a biography of David Livingstone.
The epilogue tells the inspiring story of William's continued success and experiences internationally.
"Seeing this, it gave me even more confidence that we Africans can develop our continent if we just put our minds and abundant resources together and stop waiting for others to do it for us."
*due to some mature content this book would be best for maybe upper middle school and up
William provides some history of Malawi along with his family history and his own life story. His work on the windmill doesn't come about until roughly halfway through the book. The scientific/technical jargon regarding his windmill and inventions was tedious for me. I think I would understand better by actually seeing. William's family is Christian but in general the Malawian people are superstitious and believe in magic, so much so that they started blaming William and his windmill for the drought.
William is such a great role model: humble, hardworking, inquisitive, optimistic and showing great perseverance during hardship. The severe drought and famine that struck Malawi in 2001 left his parents unable to afford his education. Unwilling to give up on his dream, he pursued self-education by using the small quantity of donated books in his local library. The drought/famine section is long and agonizing to read, but it's part of his story and greatly impacted him.
One story in particular that I enjoyed about the history of Malawi involves the Yao (a Muslim people group) from Mozambique. The Yao would cross large Lake Malawi and raid villages, capture the Chewa (the largest ethnic group in Malawi) and enslave them. They would sell any who survived the voyage, to the Portuguese. Missionary David Livingstone helped end the slavery and reconcile the two groups. He also helped build good schools, missions, and hospitals, leading to prosperity. Today the Yao and Chewa are on friendly terms. I need to check out a biography of David Livingstone.
The epilogue tells the inspiring story of William's continued success and experiences internationally.
"Seeing this, it gave me even more confidence that we Africans can develop our continent if we just put our minds and abundant resources together and stop waiting for others to do it for us."
*due to some mature content this book would be best for maybe upper middle school and up