marystephanos 's review for:

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba

5.0

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This wonderful book tells the true story of William Kamkwamba, who, unable to attend school because of poverty, spends his time building a windmill to generate power for his family's home. William has appeared many places recently, including NPR and the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, so some elements of his story are well known, particularly his inability to afford school and the construction of the windmill itself. What makes this book such a pleasure to read is the amount of space it dedicates to the years of William's life that interviews rarely have time to cover. Especially interesting are passages dealing with the daily customs of village life in Malawi, the relationship between Africans and dogs, family taboos, the educational system, and, most importantly, the Malawian famine of 2002 that did so much harm to William, his family, and their village. Highly recommended for teen readers and anyone interested in science and invention, modern Africa, or inspirational stories.