The+Boy+Who+Harnessed+the+Wind

This is an inspiring story about a poor, young boy named William Kamkwamba and his life growing up in an African village. From his perspective, you learn what it's like to live without electricity or the comfort of knowing if you are going to eat from one day to the next. Kamkwamba's thirst for knowledge leads him to study physics and engineering from old, discarded American textbooks. He then builds a windmill out of old bicycle parts and broken radios to generate electricity, which enables him to store and preserve food for his starving family.




 * Student Reviews:**

"Alright, so I'm going to say this outright: //The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind// is very graphic. If you're the type to give in to those infomercials claiming to feed third-world countries, you might want to avoid this book. If you enjoy gripping stories of carving out your own future by educating yourself, you might like it. I encourage you to read it regardless, as it is a wonderful example of a culture which is still in a developing state, and seeing somebody succeed in a world surrounding them with death and disease. Personally, I found it very engaging to read, although the presentation on it is mildly difficult, as it's a rather short book compared to the others." ~Steven Dye (GCHS junior, 2014)

//"The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind// was a book I found very interesting. This is an autobiography written by Kamkwamba and Mealer about Kamkwamba's life and his experience with electricity. Along with his friends, as a child, they developed a windmill to use for electricity. His house became the first in the village with electricity. Kamkwamba's experiences with friendships, opportunities, loss, gain, and society make this book a very exciting read for anyone who decides to read it." ~Ben Willoughby (GCHS junior, 2014)

"This book was very inspirational. It follows the life of a boy who builds a windmill, It was very shocking tome that he was just discovering the use of a windmill to generate electricity, and in America, we already have cell phones. This book just shows that even if you are told you can't do something, you truly can if you try and you educate yourself." ~Makala Hutton (GCHS junior, 2014)