Book: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

This is a wonderful story about a boy living in a primitive village in Malawi. His father grew tobacco and maize and the family survived on maize. So, in 2002 when the rains did not come, the maize withered and a severe famine resulted. Many, many Malawians died of starvation. The author and his family barely survived, eating one measly meal a day. Cholera and malaria also took a toll.

Too poor to stay in school, William wandered about and discovered a small library in a primary school and began to read whatever he could. One book was called Explaining Physics. He didn't understand all of it but he began to imagine the possibilities. He foraged in the local scrap yard and made what he couldn't find and built a windmill and the necessary electrical circuitry to power small light bulbs and radios.

He tells his story with co-author Bryan Mealer in a direct, honest fashion with no self-pity or self-aggrandizement. This is very contemporary. William is only in his 20s today. Eventually, this remarkable boy was "discovered" and his extraordinary achievements were acknowledged. He was given education opportunities; he traveled to the US to see the windmills in Palm Springs; he saw Las Vegas, San Diego, Chicago and New York City.

Through his words, we glimpse a village in Africa...the people, the culture, a family, a boy with a dream.