The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
by William Kamkwamba & Bryan Mealer
illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

Growing up in a poor Malawi village, fourteen-year-old William lived without electricity as well as other resources many of us take for granted.    When a drought hit his village, food and money became scarce.   Forced to leave school, William began to visit the local library.   Through books, he was able to learn more about how things worked, including how a windmill could help bring electricity and water to his village.  Without the money or materials for a windmill, William was able to salvage materials from the village junkyard to build his country's first windmill, bringing electricity to his village for the first time.  

This biography is a wonderful tool for teaching about wind energy as well as how life is in other cultures.   I recently used this book to teach several classes about how some countries do not have many of the conveniences that we do and also discussed the use of wind as an energy source.

Author's website:  http://williamkamkwamba.typepad.com/ 

Related video:  This video includes interviews with William's family and others from his village.

One for the Murphys

One for the Murphys
by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

After a vicious attack by her stepfather, twelve-year-old Carley is placed into foster care.    Life with the Murphy family couldn't be more different than living with her fun-loving mother and short-tempered stepfather.  Feeling abandoned and betrayed her mother, Carley initially resists the patient attempts of Mrs. Murphy to help her recover from the emotional pains of being betrayed by her mother.    Although Carley slowly begins to accept the Murphys,  her mother's return into her life threatens to take her away from the stable, loving family she has come to think of as her own. 

One for the Murphys is a beautiful story that brought out a variety of emotions in me as I read it!    I read this book in one day, unable to put it down.  I highly recommend this book for fans of realistic fiction.

Author's website:  http://lyndamullalyhunt.com/

Book trailer: 

Like Bug Juice on a Burger

Like Bug Juice on a Burger
by Julie Sternerg
illustrated by Matthew Cordell

Eleanor does not like camp.   In fact, she really hates it.   It's full of bugs, strange noises, and food that she doesn't like.    To make matters worse, she is the worst swimmer in her cabin.   To her, camp is like bug juice on a burger and she just wants to go home.   How will she ever survive ten days at camp?

Like Bug Juice on a Burger is a light, humorous story about a nine-year-old girl dealing with being away from home for the first time.   Eleanor is a likeable character that many girls will be able to relate to.  

Author's website: http://www.juliesternberg.com/

Wake Up Missing

Wake Up Missing
by Kate Messner

All Cat wants is to be the way she was before her head injury.   The I-CAN treatment center, known for treating head injuries like hers, promises to do just that.   However, shortly after her arrival at the isolated Florida island home of the I-CAN center, Cat grows suspicious of the motives of the doctors.  She soon realizes that she, as well as the other five patients of the center, are part of a secret project.  Will she and the other patients be able escape the center before it's too late?

What a great book!  Wake Up Missing is one of those stories that I started and could not put down.  It's a thrilling combination of science fiction and mystery.   My only disappointment with this book was somewhat of a lack of closure in the end regarding several of the characters.  I was left wanting to know what happened next with everyone.  I'd love to see these characters again in future stories! 

Author's website: http://www.katemessner.com/