The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Picture Book Edition

The picture book retelling of the New York Times bestseller - Now a Netflix film starring and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor! A lyrical and gloriously illustrated true story of one boy's determination to help his community that shows how--even in the worst of times--a great idea and hard work can rock the world.

When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family's life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William's windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.

Retold for a younger audience, this exciting memoir shows how, even in a desperate situation, one boy's brilliant idea can light up the world. Complete with photographs, illustrations, and an epilogue that will bring readers up to date on William's story, this is the perfect edition to read and share with the whole family.


Author: William Kamkwamba,Bryan Mealer
Publisher: Rocky Pond Books
Published: 01/19/2012
Pages: 32
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 11.10h x 9.30w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9780803735118
Audience: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.3
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 148136 / Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Picture Book Edition)


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2011
Publishers Weekly 12/05/2011 pg. 73
School Library Journal 01/01/2012 pg. 94
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 02/01/2012
Booklist 02/15/2012 pg. 52
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2012 pg. 176 - Recommended, Satisfactory

About the Author
William Kamkwamba grew up in a small village in Malawi. At the age of 14, he devised a windmill that brought electricity to his home during a catastrophic drought. His New York Times Bestselling autobiography has been translated into nearly twenty languages worldwide as well as a feature film, and William has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Good Morning America. After graduating from Dartmouth College in Environmental Studies, William began work as a Global Fellow for the design firm IDEO.org. Now an entrepreneur and TED Fellow, he divides his time between the U.S. and Malawi and is currently working full-time with the Moving Windmills Project, a nonprofit he launched that's dedicated to ethical, hands-on development in Malawi.

Bryan Mealer is the author of Muck City and the New York Times bestseller The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, which he wrote with William Kamkwamba. Since publication, the book has received many honors and has been translated into over a dozen languages. Mealer is also the author of All Things Must Fight to Live, which chronicled his years covering the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo for Harper's and the Associated Press. His book The Kings of Big Spring, is a multi-generational saga about his family in West Texas. He and his family live in Austin.

Elizabeth Zunon grew up in Ivory Coast, West Africa, and now lives in Albany, New York.