Back-to-School Picture Book to Inspire All Students: The Kid Who Changed the World

Are you looking for a book that will inspire your students as they begin a new school year? Let me introduce you to The Kid Who Changed the World, written by Andy Andrews.

Although this 40-page picture book is primarily written for children ages four to eight, it will certainly inspire children of all ages.

The Author: Andy Andrews

Most of Andy Andrews’ books are for adults. He is a bestselling novelist and in-demand speaker for the world’s largest organizations. He has also spoken at the request of four United States presidents and at military bases worldwide.

The Kid Who Changed the World is based on the author’s popular book for adults, The Butterfly Effect.

On his website, AndyAndrews.com, Andrews offers several free resources, one of which is a PDF of fifteen “Reader’s Guide Questions” for this book.

I want to read more of Andrews’ books. It sounds like he’s had an interesting life, and he incorporates the challenges he faced into his writing and speaking. Andrews lost both of his parents at the age of 19. He lived under a fishing pier for a while. Now, he lives in Alabama and enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons.

The Content of The Kid Who Changed the World

“I want to tell you a story about the kid who changed the world. His name was Norman Borlaug.”

The story is divided into several sections. The first section is about Norman, the son of a corn farmer in Iowa. Norman decides he wants to help feed hungry people. When he grows up, he goes to school to learn more about plants. Later, a man named Mr. Wallace hires him to develop super seeds that produce a large amount of food.

Then, the story moves into the second portion.

“It’s true . . . Norman was the kid who changed the world! Or maybe it was a kid named Henry.”

We hear about Henry Wallace’s childhood and how he explored the countryside with a man named George, who taught him many things about plants. Henry grew up to be the U.S. secretary of agriculture. Later, he became the Vice President of the United States. Henry Wallace came up with the idea of special seeds that would grow more food, and he hired Norman Borlaug to help make it happen.

This section ends by suggesting that perhaps it was really Henry who grew up and changed the world.

“Or maybe it was George.”

The following segment of the story tells about the childhood of George Washington Carver. He’s the man who Henry Wallace roamed the countryside with, learning about plants. Children hear about George’s childhood—how he became an orphan and was adopted by Moses and Susan Carver. George grew up to become a teacher and inventor. He discovered 266 uses for peanuts and 88 uses for sweet potatoes!

Also, when George was a student at Iowa State, he used to take one of his teachers’ sons, Henry Wallace, for walks in the fields and teach him about plants.

If you think the book ends by mentioning George Washington Carver as the kid who changed the world, you would be correct–if you were reading the first edition of this book titled The Boy Who Changed the World. But, the publisher, Tommy Nelson printed Andy Andrews’ new edition with the title changing to The Kid Who Changed the World.

I’m not telling. You’ll have to check out the book to find out who was added!

The Inspiring Ending

In conclusion, Andrews reminds children about the butterfly effect. “Every time something happens, something else happens.”

Throughout the book, the illustrator, Philip Hurst has inserted butterflies. Children will enjoy searching for them in the beautiful and bright watercolor illustrations.

Andrews adds, “That means every little thing YOU do matters: what you did yesterday, what you do today, and what you do tomorrow. God made your life so important that every move you make, every action you take, matters . . .”

Recommendation

I highly recommend this book! It is a beautiful way to begin the school year, with its gentle reminder of how our words and actions may affect others today and in the future.

Furthermore, this book can be used to introduce plant life, agriculture, George Washington Carver, exploring, and more.

Most of all, this collection of stories about real people may inspire today’s reader to become the next kid who changes the world.

Motivated by the power of story, history, and His Story, Sally Matheny’s passion is telling the next generation wondrous things.

Her nonfiction writing appears in worldwide, national, and regional publications including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and are blessed with three children, two sons-in-law, and armfuls of grandbabies. Connect with Sally on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.