The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - June Book

A windmill means more than just power, it means freedom.




William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger, and a place where hope and opportunity were hard to find. But William had read about windmills in a book called Using Energy, and he

dreamed of building one that would bring electricity and water to his village and change his life and the lives of those around him. His neighbors may have mocked him and called him misala-crazy—but William was determined to show them what a little grit and ingenuity could do.

Peek at this video from before he ever wrote his autobiography.

William's TED Talk.

Discussion Questions:
1. Could you imagine living without electricity? What would your life be like? Describe William's life and compare it to American teenagers and even your own.
2. How did the villagers compensate for not having electricity, telephones, or most of the modern conveniences we take for granted?
3. What is the role of magic in the story? What about education? Contrast the two. Is there room for both in a culture? What about education and religion? How do the two impact each other? How did William's religion influence his outlook?
4. What did electricity and the creation of the windmill mean for William, his family, and his village? What might his accomplishment mean for the world?
5. What motivates people like William to attempt the unthinkable? How would you describe him to someone who's never heard of his achievement?
6. Compare William to his father and to his mother. How are they alike? How did his parents shape William's outlook?
7. Imagine what a handful of Williams with some encouragement and financial backing from government and private sources might accomplish. Offer some ideas.
8. Malawi is an extremely poor nation. What are the causes of this poverty and what exacerbates it? How might these causes and influences be overcome? How has the West—think of organizations like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, run by Americans and Europeans—helped to contribute to nations like Malawi's troubles?
9. William writes of the corruption, greed, nonexistent services, and lack of empathy that turned the drought into a disaster for average people like him and his family. Can you see any similarities with our own culture, both past and present? Think about the American Depression. How did that compare to Malawi's drought?
10. William was desperate to stay in school but could not because of money. Think about American students. Why do you think with all the opportunities for schooling, students are disinterested in learning? In your opinion, what accounts for the differences between William and his American counterparts?
11. Many Americans criticize public schools and some even question the need for them. Others argue that money doesn't matter when it comes to education. How does William's experience address our own debates on the subject? Think about his school, and compare it to American schools. Might William's life be different if he had access to education without having to pay? How so?
12. What lessons did you take away from William's story?
(Questions issued by publisher.)

This month's book is Northern Borders by Howard Frank Mosher.

A synopsis and reviews are available on the official Howard Frank Mosher website
http://www.howardfrankmosher.com/books/northernborders.html

An interview with the author appears here:
http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/bookauth/hfmint.htm

Books are available to borrow from the library.

This month's book to talk about is THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME by Mark Haddon.

This book is about a boy with a keen attention to details, trying to figure out how the world works as he tries to solve the mystery of a murdered dog.

Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning for him. At fifteen, Christopher’ s carefully constructed world falls apart when he finds his neighbor’s dog Wellington impaled on a garden fork, and he is initially blamed for the killing. Christopher decides that he will track down the real killer, and turns to his favorite fictional character, the impeccably logical Sherlock Holmes, for inspiration. But the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths and ultimately brings him face to face with the dissolution of his parents’ marriage. As Christopher tries to deal with the crisis within his own family, the narrative draws readers into the workings of Christopher’ s mind.  -reprinted with permission from RandomHouse.com 

Discussion

1. If you know someone with autism or an autism spectrum disorder, do you think the book accurately protrayed this set of disorders?  Which parts of the book were accurate?  Where do you think Christopher’s characteristics were inaccurate?
2. Did you enjoy the story as told by Christopher? Would it have been as intriguing if told by another character?
3. Were you able to find any justification in the behavior of his mother and father?
4. Did you enjoy the illustrations in the novel or were they more of a distraction?
5. There is a little bit of Christopher in all of us.  Are there certain aspects of your life that has to be done a certain way?

Below are a few more reading guides and discussion questions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curious_Incident_of_the_Dog_in_the_Night-Time

http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/13-fiction/238-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time-haddon?start=3

http://bestsellers.about.com/od/bookclubquestions/a/curious_q.htm

http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/curious_incident_dog1.asp

Just a few pages about Asperger's Syndrome. There are a lot more.

http://www.aspergers.com/aspclin.html

http://theweek.com/article/index/238067/5-important-facts-and-misconceptions-about-aspergers-syndrome

This month's Talk About Books is The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by  Ayana Mathis.

Below are some links that might be interesting as you're reading.

The first two websites are books discussion suggestions. The ones in the middle are various articles and pages about the great migration. The last is an NPR interview with Ayana Mathis and Oprah Winfrey.

Good reading,

Cathi


http://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm/book_number/2807/index.cfm?fuseaction=printable&book_number=2807

http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/The-Twelve-Tribes-of-Hattie-Reading-Guide-Ayana-Mathis

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/african7.html

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/afam008.html

http://northbysouth.kenyon.edu/

http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/segregation/p/Causes-Of-The-Great-Migration-Searching-For-The-Promised-Land.htm

http://www.inmotionaame.org/migrations/landing.cfm;jsessionid=f8301106751361362186523?migration=8&bhcp=1

http://www.npr.org/2012/12/11/166887803/oprahs-second-pick-a-first-time-novelist