William Kamkwamba: Powering his Village

February 15, 2017
Grades 2-4 The Remarkable Lives Revealed series seeks to introduce young readers to biographies while profiling people who have overcome great obstacles to make a difference in the world. William Kamkwamba sets the scene by describing the subject's home, in Malawi, Africa, and the drought that brought famine; Kamkwamba's determination to create a windmill to power and irrigate the village gained widespread attention. Through bright, color-coded layouts, a wide array of photos, and plentiful quotes from the subjects, this series emphasizes the qualities inherent in such notable individuals and encourages readers to cultivate those qualities in themselves through Think About It segments and writing prompts. Useful in a classroom setting both for the biographical information and for encouraging budding activists.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)