Reading Raves
With so much tragedy and so many tales of carnage coming out of Africa, it was a pleasure to pick up The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. Kamkwamba grew up in Malawi, the only son in a farm family. Because of a drought-induced famine, he was unable to go to secondary school, but he was always interested in mechanical things and because the town happened to have a library that happened to have a book on electricity, he figured out how to make a windmill that provided power to his home. He did it himself using scavenged parts, with assistance from close friends. Word of his achievement got out and his abilities and achievements were recognized and he received a scholarship to go on to school. He was also able to wire his village.
It's so easy for those of us who live in this part of the world to take electricity for granted, and to think that problems in Africa can only be solved by governments. William Kamkwamba is a shining example of the spirit of Benjamin Franklin, and of the power of one.
Kudos also to Bryan Mealer, for doing what the best co-writers do and shaping Kamkwamba's story while letting us hear the cadence of his language.
If you're looking for YA non-fiction, this should be on your list.
I just happened to find it on the shelf at one of my local libraries.