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

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope - Paperback

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

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope - Paperback

$18.99
Sale price  $18.99 Regular price 

Book Overview

by William Kamkwamba (Author), Bryan Mealer (Author)

Now a Netflix Film, Starring and Directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor of 12 Years a Slave

William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger. But William had read about windmills, and he dreamed of building one that would bring to his small village a set of luxuries that only 2 percent of Malawians could enjoy: electricity and running water. His neighbors called him misala--crazy--but William refused to let go of his dreams. With a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks; some scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves; and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to forge an unlikely contraption and small miracle that would change the lives around him.

This inspiring memoir, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, is a remarkable true story about human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity. It will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual's ability to change his community and better the lives of those around him.

This extraordinary memoir of African innovation shows that one person can change a community:

  • An Unforgettable True Story: Follow a young boy in Malawi who, armed with forgotten science textbooks, stood up to a devastating famine and brought hope to his village.
  • Ingenuity and Determination: Discover how William Kamkwamba built a working windmill from scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves to bring electricity and running water to his community.
  • Overcoming Crippling Adversity: A powerful narrative of resilience and inventiveness in the face of drought, hunger, and being called misala--crazy--by his neighbors.
  • Now a Major Netflix Film: Experience the story that inspired the critically acclaimed film, directed by and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Front Jacket

William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger. But William had read about windmills, and he dreamed of building one that would bring to his small village a set of luxuries that only 2 percent of Malawians could enjoy: electricity and running water. His neighbors called him misala--crazy--but William refused to let go of his dreams. With a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks; some scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves; and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to forge an unlikely contraption and small miracle that would change the lives around him.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a remarkable true story about human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity. It will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual's ability to change his community and better the lives of those around him.

--Seth Godin, author of Tribes

Back Jacket

William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger. But William had read about windmills, and he dreamed of building one that would bring to his small village a set of luxuries that only 2 percent of Malawians could enjoy: electricity and running water. His neighbors called him misala--crazy--but William refused to let go of his dreams. With a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks; some scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves; and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to forge an unlikely contraption and small miracle that would change the lives around him.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a remarkable true story about human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity. It will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual's ability to change his community and better the lives of those around him.

Number of Pages: 320
Dimensions: 0.8 x 7.8 x 5.3 IN
Illustrated: Yes
Publication Date: July 27, 2010
Award: South Carolina Childrens, Junior and Young Adult Book Award (2014)
Award: Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award (2014)
Award: Georgia Children's Book Award (2015)
Accelerated Reader:
Quiz Name: Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
Interest Level: Upper Grades, 9-12
Reading Level: 6.4
Point Value: 15
ISBN9780061730337
Author William Kamkwamba , Bryan Mealer
PublisherWilliam Morrow & Company
GenreBiography and Technology
FormatPaperback
PublishedJuly 2010
LanguageENG- English
Pages320
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceTeens & young adults
Print SizeStandard Print

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About William Kamkwamba
William Kamkwamba recently graduated from Dartmouth College. The original version of his memoir The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind was a New York Times Bestseller and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. He divides his time between Malawi and San Francisco, California.
About Bryan Mealer
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 forthcoming book, The Kings of Big Spring, a multi-generational saga about his family in West Texas, will be published by Flatiron Books in early 2018. He and his family live in Austin.

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