The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, Young Reader's Edition - Paperback by William Kamkwamba

by William Kamkwamba (contributor)

Brand New

Genres: Nonfiction, School, Biography, History, Middle Grade

Unknown Binding

About the author

William Kamkwamba was born August 5, 1987 in Malawi, and grew up on his family farm in Wimbe, two and half hours northeast of Malawi’s capital city. William was educated at Wimbe Primary School, completing 8th grade and was then accepted to secondary school. Due to severe famine in 2001-2002, his family lacked funds to pay $80 in school fees and William was forced to drop out in his freshman year. For five years he was unable to go to school. Rather than accept his fate, William borrowed books from a small community lending library, including an American textbook Using Energy, which depicted a wind turbine. He decided to build a windmill to power his family’s home. First he built a prototype, then his initial 5-meter windmill out of a broken bicycle, tractor fan blade, old shock absorber, and blue gum trees. He was able to power four light bulbs and two radios, and charge neighbors’ mobile phones. He then added a car battery for storage, as well as homemade light switches and circuit breakers. Subsequent projects have included clean water, malaria prevention, solar power and lighting for his family compound, a deep water well with a solar powered pump, a drip irrigation system, and the outfitting of the village team Wimbe United with uniforms and shoes. In September, 2008, William started as one of 97 inaugural students at the African Leadership Academy, a new pan-African prep school based outside of Johannesburg, South Africa whose mission is to educate the next generation with rigorous academics, ethical leadership training, entrepreneurship and design (africanleadershipacademy.org). William is the subject of the short film Moving Windmills: http://missingpiecesvideo.com/kamkwam.... William is currently finishing his autobiography The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope with co-author Bryan Mealer. Harper Collins will publish the memoir Sept. 29, 2009.

Reviews

[Nushyyyy ( Nazeeras Version)]

FIRST BOOK OF 2026

[Jasmine Pulley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read aloud to boys 6.5 and 8.5–we all loved the story but I had to skim over some of the content, particularly one more graphic chapter of famine and death. I’d say this book is more geared towards 10-12 for self readers, but reading it aloud was really fun and eye opening. We all thought it was interesting and they loved that the “character” was a real person. A very inspiring true story!

[Nelson Palacios · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is an amazing and beautifully written bibliography about William Kamkwamba. In this book, William, a young boy from Malawi, faces the challenges of extreme poverty and a devastating drought in his village. With the limited resources he has access to, he builds a windmill out of scraps to generate for his family and the village. This book showcases William’s resolve and perseverance with his impressive self-education. I was deeply moved by his determination to make a difference in his village despite the odds being stacked against him. It’s a reminder that even when circumstances seem hopeless, innovation and creativity can offer you a way forward. Some of the major themes in this book were perseverance and innovation. William’s unwavering commitment to learning and finding a solution to his community’s problems. Despite the amount of setbacks he deals with and the lack of proper resources, he keeps trying, showing the power of persistence and perseverance. Another key theme is innovation, this is shown by William’s creative thinking to his real world problems that he is currently dealing with. His windmill is a simple yet brilliant invention that changed his life and those who live around him. This truly shows the power of the indomitable human spirit that I have also experienced before. The main genre of this book is biography. It is a true story about William Kamkwamba’s life, written for a younger audience to inspire them with real-world courage and creativity. Through reading this book, I learned the importance of perseverance and how innovation can come from the most unlikely of places. Children reading this book could learn that challenges don’t define us; it’s how we approach them and think creatively that makes the difference. It’s also a reminder of the value of self-learning and being resourceful when faced with hardship.

Two of the writing craft techniques the author used in this book were repetition and simple, accessible language. Repetition is used to emphasize William’s determination and the steps he took to achieve his goal. For example, the narrative repeatedly highlights his curiosity and experimentation, such as when he gathers materials or when he reads the books while using a second book the dictionary to help his studies. Another technique was simple and accessible language making the story engaging and understandable for its target audience. The authors use straightforward sentences and make it into easier sentences, making it easier for readers to understand the difficult topics such as a windmill creating electricity from wind. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it highlights diversity and counters stereotypes. The story showcases a young boy from rural Malawi as a creative and intelligent problem solver, challenging the often-limited narratives about African countries. It also presents a rich depiction of William’s community and their struggles without pity or exaggeration

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

(This is a juvie book so the two-week timeframe is just a reflection of my poorly managed life)

If you stumble upon this “review” (soapbox rant), just stop reading here as I’ll say for your takeaway: this was a good story but I don’t know that this version’s audience will appreciate it.

I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of this guy/story before. Perhaps I did, and like many other things from this millennium, I have just forgotten. Reading this juvie version gave me just enough and I’m not tempted to read the regular version as this one’s description of famine and death was a bit harsh (IMO) for this age group - though it is a thing and shouldn’t be glossed over I guess.

NOTE: If you’re an animal lover like me, just completely skip chapter seven. You’ve been warned.

This was a great story about one young man’s determination to bring a better life to his village. It’s sad as well, from the perspective of an older white American, who just doesn’t want to believe that these countries are so corrupt that they allow their own people to starve and keep them in a constant state of deprivation. Fortunately, to some extent (as I’m not implying the people are ignorant), the people just really don’t know how bad it is because for them, it’s just their way of life. I won’t go on and on. It’s a book review for crying out loud!!

In one respect, if you wanted to compare and contrast the life of William to an American boy of the same age, it is my opinion that William is the better boy. He WANTED to help not only his family, but his entire community. I challenge you to find a boy in America who is the same age who you can get to mow their own lawn (that is NOT an invitation for the rare few of you who have a do-gooder Boy Scout kid to message me about them). He also WANTED very badly to LEARN. Don’t even get me started on the dumbass “kids” of today! They do know how to navigate Roblox though - and that should get them VERY far in life (she scoffs)

Oops! I was supposed to talk about the book. ;-) My thumbs seem to have an agenda and an outlet (most never to be read, so - winning!)

This was a great story for me, an adult (shut up, I’m just going by age, not manner/personality) but I feel like first world kids aren’t going to give two farts about this. Spoiled is the word I’m looking for.

I’ve learned there’s a picture book too so I’d like to look at that.

Good Lord but I can’t believe all that came out of these thumbs! Adios now!

[Emily Kraus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy from Malawi named William, is living through tough times. Everyone around him casts doubt on him that a boy who is living in poverty and has very little schooling could build a successful windmill to bring electricity to his village. This book is intended for middle grade readers. This book may appeal to students who are interested in STEM and how these skills could be used for problem-solving. I chose this book for my classroom library because it shows how a young person can make a profound difference in their community, even when very little resources are available. Key themes and topics of this book include: perseverance, engineering, problem-solving, resilience, creativity, innovation, poverty, and drought.

[Emma Grace Blumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this one for J and R’s summer reading, but his experiences with witchcraft in his culture and the famine at the beginning of the book were a bit too intense for them, so it’s definitely more of an upper middle or high school read. I really enjoyed it - he’s an amazing person!

[Kabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The boy who harnessed the wind is a non fiction book that gives readers a view on the struggles and life style of kids and adults in small remote villages, and the road blocks they face everyday to stay happy and alive. William Kamkwamba is the main character and also the author. In the book he is a young teen that is facing problems of starvation, and what he and his family does to stay alive. His family is poor resulting in him not being able to go to school, making his dreams of becoming an engineer. By his curiosity he frequently visits the villages library. He finds a book on energy and windmills. This drives William to construct a windmill to power the his home and the village with what he can find. After months of hard work William successfully constructs a functioning windmill. This windmill provides essential changes to the village, providing a way of irrigation for the fields. Solving the starvation issue. This windmill gains attention and support from around the world.

My favorite quote from the book is "Where the world series trash, Africa recycles. Where the world sees junk, Africa sees rebirth" (265). This to me is a very powerful quote and practically summarizes the book in itself. These remote places in Africa are very creative just like William and determined to make a change for themselves and the people and family members around them. This quote has a more powerful and deeper meaning then just the words. It gives a picture of what this village was like and what they used to build and create their everyday items.

I give this book a 5 star rating not only because it's an amazing book that gives insight to the ways of Williams life, but because this book teaches us that determination and education can overcome the most challenging of circumstances. This book teaches us to not give up on our dreams and the real value of knowledge to bring great positive change to your life and the environment of which you live in.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars, but I'm rounding down for the same reason it isn't a 4-5 star review. This is a wonderful, inspiring story and he writes beautifully. However, this is the young reader's edition, and I was appalled at the story of animal cruelty during the famine. Everyone was starving, and the dog was starving as well, which is understandable. However, the decision to "put the dog out of his misery" resulted in taking him to the woods, tying him to a tree, and letting him die of thirst (and starvation). I do not believe that this detailed part of the story belongs in a young reader's edition - it is misleading (as it just made the misery for the dog worse) and it is cruel. We were going to read this for our late elementary/ middle school book club, but I pulled it after prereading.

As a read aloud, a parent could skip over those details, and it would be a great book to read. However, I would not hand this one over to a young reader without warnings.

[Tiffany Hamlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I read this book with my children and it was so good. I am so thankful that William’s story has been shared! I am so glad that he was able to reach his dream and be able to share his story. It is so inspiring, reminding us to follow our dreams no matter what comes against is! The way he explained his invention and how he created it with recycled materials was fascinating. I learned so much about engineering and science. A great listen! I highly recommend. The best part is William is inspiring and helping others!

Spoiler alert: For sensitive readers Chapter 7 and 8 discuss the way in which his beloved dog died as well as many others in a famine. Parents may want to pre-read and decide per their own child if this part of the story may be upsetting. As an adult and older child I think it is a good reminder that we who live in other countries have access to so much that we take for granted daily.

[Steffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the Young Reader’s edition of this book which I got from the school library. Although it has been months since I borrowed the book, I couldn’t focus on reading mainly because of work stress. Yesterday night, I just got the reading vibe while I was just surfing for movies to watch on the net. I grabbed the book to read. I read this book in a few hours and took no breaks. It is the second book after ‘The Girl on the Train’ that I read in a single stretch. It was really inspiring of how a small boy just by knowledge he got from reading books has changed his fate. It clearly emphasizes the point necessity is the mother of invention. “I try, and I made it!” is definitely a line worth quoting.

[Jennifer Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Kamkwamba turns to a library book at his old school to figure out how to build a windmill in the backyard. Ultimately I wondered why William decides to study Environmental Sciences at Dartmouth. What did William do with that degree and did William study engineering or electricity more in depth after college?

I have to have the book in front of me to write a better review. I have already returned the book and need to check it out again. William has experience with electronics from the radio repair business he runs with a cousin. William is interested in the dynamo generator used to provide light on bicycles in motion.

[SWASTI MALI · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really one of the best and inspiring books I have ever read.... It is totally a life changing experience of William Kamkwamba.. how a boy who managed to survive during the worst conditions and yet achieved this miracle discovery..
It is definitely a true story of survival against the odds...
It proves that if you have the will and desire to do something you can definitely do it and show it to the world. Just like the boy did in his story...
The process of making the wind mill is articulated and makes one wonder..
The best books I have ever read till date...

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the unabridged edition years ago and the story has always stuck with me. Listened to young reader's edition with my kids ages 7-17 while studying the geography of Africa. They and I were all riveted. Incredible story, well-told, excellent narrator.

Also, the science explained related to William's projects was interesting and timely, especially for my mechanically-minded son who was just learning electrical concepts from his Dad while wiring up grow lights in our garage.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for some upcoming school planning and enjoyed it. Moves pretty fast, while also containing a lot of engineering info. William seems like a really nice person--he's careful to emphasize people who supported him as he was starting out, the role friends played in his life, etc. It'll be interesting to see how we end up working through it with 6th graders!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“My name is William Kamkwamba, and to understand the story I’m about to tell, you must first understand the country that raised me” (4).

Reading this for the first time, with 6th graders, has been so fun. I found that they were riveted by this story and put up (almost) no resistance to our daily reading time.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this beautiful book with my class this term. We really enjoyed the themes and it matched so well with our unit of inquiry about innovation and scientific forces. The last chapters definitely dragged with a lot of technical jargon so maybe suited for an older audience (my class is 10), but other than that we loved it! Such an inspiring story

[Lydia Madsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book, and after I watched the movie. I felt like I visualized more of what's happening with the book. I recommend getting it for your children, this book is definitely high reading level. Maybe for 7th-9th graders. I'm a ninth grader and I LOVED this book!

[Sarah Amin · Rating 4 out of 5]

24/25 MBOB - listened in the car with the kids. The narrator was fantastic. There were lots of parts we found hard to listen to but it was such a well crafted novel we pushed through to find out what happened. What a story of ingenuity in the face of despair.

[Amy Deckerhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an American teacher in Malawi I LOVED this! It was incredibly helpful to help me understand my students better. What a beautiful story of hope! I never give 5 star reviews but this was a no brainer. This book is for everyone. Going to recommend it to everyone I know! Grab your tissues.

[Rebecca Gulka]

Reading the World: Malawi.

This memoir is so important, so beautifully written. A story about resilience and family, but also about the importance of education and science. A great way in to begin to talk about the cycle of poverty and the role of government and community leadership.

[Dawn Whynot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written for young audiences. my students enjoyed the audiobook better than trying to read the story themselves.
Hope it gave them a better appreciation for education and striving to learn to make dreams happen.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an inspiring story. We only had the young readers edition available but now I wish I had read the original full version of this story. Regardless it was still an excellent read and a motivational book.

[Mara S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esse livro foi o paradidático do 6° ano, e que escolha ótima tivemos! A história de William nos desperta força, mostra a realidade de um país pouco conhecido e trouxe muitas discussões interessantes e importantes em sala de aula. Adorei!

[Abbey Jarvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool way to talk to kids about science, and a story for William to be proud of. At times, it had less of a memoir feel and more of a way to excitedly talk about scientific innovation. Not really my “flavor” of book, but an important story nonetheless.

[Emily Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book, though very sad due to its topic. I enjoyed that while the book describes a lot of the technical aspects of Kamkwamba's machine, it is still fairly easy to read for older students (i.e., middle school).

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as I am a middle school teacher, and felt this was an important book to read. This book is incredible and tell a story that people in the west need to read.

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle School English reading selection

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved William's story! I highly recommend watching his TED Talks as he mentions them!

[Cianna Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing true story!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to get my son to read this book!