The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

• Genre: Nonfiction; memoir
• Originally Published: 2009
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 850L; grades 9-12
• Structure/Length: Prologue, 15 chapters, and epilogue; approx. 290 pages; approx. 10 hours, 4 minutes on audio
• Central Concern: The author reveals in his memoir the struggles he faced against superstition, drought, famine, and corruption in his attempt to construct a windmill for his Malawi village.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Famine; poverty

William Kamkwamba, Author

• Bio: Born in Dowa, Malawi in 1987; along with his parents and six sisters, grew up on the farm of extended family members; forced to stop attending school due to famine conditions and an inability to pay school fees; pursued the study of science independently and constructed a windmill for the farm to provide electricity to his family; completed other projects such as clean water initiatives and a village irrigation system; graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in Environmental Studies; has become a presenter, writer, playwright, TED Fellow, Global Fellow with IDEO.org, and innovator
• Other Works: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Young Readers Edition (2016)
• Awards: Alex Award from the American Library Association (2010)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Magic Versus Science
• Corruption
• Hope and Determination
• Friendship

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will: