Characters
$100: The main character of the book who builds a windmill.
Answer: Who is William Kamkwamba?
$100: The African country where the story takes place.
Answer: What is Malawi?
$100: The renewable energy source William harnesses.
Answer: What is wind power?
$100: A major theme of the book, represented by William's perseverance.
Answer: What is determination (or perseverance)?
$100: The natural disaster that causes famine in Malawi.
Answer: What is drought?
$200: William's father, a farmer who initially doubts his son's project.
Answer: Who is Trywell?
$200: The staple food of Malawi that failed during the famine.
Answer: What is maize (or corn)?
$200: The device William builds to generate electricity.
Answer: What is a windmill?
$200: The windmill symbolizes this for William's village.
Answer: What is hope (or progress)?
$200: The reason William has to drop out of school.
Answer: What is inability to pay school fees (or poverty)?
$300: William's best friend who helps him gather materials for the windmill.
Answer: Who is Gilbert?
$300: The local language spoken by William and his family.
Answer: What is Chichewa?
$300: The material William uses for the blades of his windmill.
Answer: What are PVC pipes?
$300: The theme represented by William's innovative use of scrap materials.
Answer: What is resourcefulness (or creativity)?
$300: The first electrical device William powers with his windmill.
Answer: What is a radio?
$400: The librarian who allows William to continue reading books even after he drops out of school.
Answer: Who is Mrs. Sikelo?
$400: The traditional belief system that some villagers follow, involving magic and spirits.
Answer: What is witchcraft (or magic)?
$400: The part of a bicycle William uses to create the windmill's dynamo.
Answer: What is the bicycle dynamo (or generator)?
$400: The blue gum tree represents this theme in the book.
Answer: What is knowledge (or education)?
$400: The international conference where William later gives a TED talk.
Answer: What is TEDGlobal?
$500: The American journalist who discovers William's story and helps share it with the world.
Answer: Who is Bryan Mealer?
$500: The colonial power that previously ruled Malawi.
Answer: What is Great Britain?
$500: The book William uses to learn about creating electricity.
Answer: What is "Using Energy"?
$500: The theme illustrated by the contrast between traditional beliefs and William's scientific approach.
Answer: What is tradition vs. modernity?
$500: The prestigious university William eventually attends in the United States.
Answer: What is Dartmouth College?