The Kid Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews ~ A Children's Book Review and Giveaway

The Kid Who Changed the World

Andy Andrews

Illustrated by Philip Hurst

Juvenile Nonfiction

About the book:

Everything You Do Matters.

The Kid Who Changed the World reveals the incredible truth that everything YOU do matters--what you did yesterday, what you do today, and what you will do tomorrow. Every choice you make, good or bad, can make a difference. 

In this engaging tale, bestselling author Andy Andrews shows children that every action, however big or small, can have a ripple effect around the world.

The bestselling book now featuring revised content and new illustrations!

The Kid Who Changed the World tells the story of Norman Borlaug, who would one day grow up and use his knowledge of agriculture to save the lives of two billion people. Two billion! Norman changed the world! Or was it Vice President Henry Wallace who changed the world? Or maybe it was George Washington Carver? But what about Susan Carver?

This engaging story reveals the incredible truth that everything we do matters! Based on his book The Butterfly Effect, Andy’s timeless tale shows children that even the smallest of our actions can make a difference in someone’s life. In turn, that person makes a difference in someone else’s life, and the blessing is passed from person to person. Through each character’s story, readers will see that they, too, can be the kid who changes the world.

Now updated with Susan Carver’s story and brand-new illustrations by Phillip Hurst!

My thoughts:
In a world that seems to tell children that they don't matter, this book is a breath of fresh air. The message that what you do today does matter. In fact what you do today will impact tomorrow and all the days that follow. 
Most of us learned about George Washington Carver in school. But this book takes us through the ripple effect of his life. It tells about his past and how it affected what he was able to accomplish. It also talks about how his life impacted others and through that millions of people were fed.
Not only is this a great book to be read in your home, it would also be a wonderful resource in your education circles. Andy Andrew's website has some great resources that will enhance your book experience. This book would be a great leaping off point in a study of how you can make a difference in the world.

The Giveaway:

We have partnered with Tommy Nelson to offer one of our readers a chance to win a copy of The Kid Who Changed the World. If you would like to enter the giveaway just use the Rafflecopter form below. The giveaway is open to any US resident age 18 and older.

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The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

The Final Summit

Andy Andrews

Fiction

2 out of 5

 

The Final Summit is the sequel to The Traveler’s Gift. This is a fact that I was unaware of when I began reading The Final Summit. While I somewhat agree that you can read the sequel without reading the first book, I think you would have a much better grasp of what is going on by reading them in order.  I went back and found a synopsis of The Traveler’s Gift and then I proceeded to read The Final Summit.

 

The book picks up several years after the first one leaves off. David’s wife, Ellen, has died and he can’t seem to pull himself out of the depression he feels at her loss. Once again Gabriel appears to him and takes him on a journey. They arrive at an unknown place that holds a conference table with stadium seating surrounding it. The first historical figure to appear is Winston Churchill.

 

Gabriel poses a question to the two of them, “What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?” They are given five parameters that they must abide by in order to solve the question. The first is that they will be allowed to call on five other advisers besides themselves. The second is the time limit that has been set. The third is that they can talk amongst themselves, but not directly to the group surrounding them in the stadium seating. The fourth is that they have five chances at answering. And the fifth and final item is that Gabriel will be the arbiter. The other Traveler’s to make up the core group are Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Eric Erickson, and King David.

 

The story grabbed me from the beginning. I really thought that I was going to enjoy this book, but I quickly became frustrated with the whole storyline. It seemed to be the same thing over and over with different new historical characters added in. It went way beyond any theology that I am comfortable with. The answer to the question seemed to obviously involve Christ himself…but that wasn’t the author’s answer.

 

* I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson and book sneeze for my honest review. No other compensation was received.