By Bonnie Bartel Latino, this review originally appeared on Sunday, December 15 in the Mobile Press-Register.
Book Review:
Hey, Friends!
Andy recently released his first ever children’s book, The Boy Who Changed the World, and we’re all really excited about it! Check out this review from the Mobile Press-Register. Apparently, there are other people out there who are just as excited as we are!
Social media-savvy folks who follow New York Times best-selling author Andy Andrews on Facebook and Twitter appreciate the Alabama author’s quirky sense of humor. For instance, earlier this year he quipped: “If Jimmy cracked corn and no one cared, why sing the song in the first place? I’m just saying.”
Andy’s cyber clan also knows that the “monkeys” to whom he often refers in posted messages are his two sons, Adam and Austin, and that his wife’s name is Polly. One Sunday in late November, Andy posted the following: “(We) sang the old hymn in church today. Adam (8) whispered to Polly, ‘When I was growing up, I thought we were singing Amazing RACE.’ ” That is one example of many quotes from Adam that his dad has posted online. Adam seems to have inherited his father’s appreciation of irony.
Knowing this family background, it should come as no surprise that the author of popular motivational books “The Travelers Gift,” “The Noticer” and others has added a new dimension to his writing. His latest work is his first children’s book, “The Boy Who Changed the World,” published by Tommy Nelson, the children’s product line of Nashville-based Christian publisher, Thomas Nelson. Nelson classifies the book in their Social Issues, Values and Virtues genre of juvenile nonfiction.
As the father of two impressionable young sons and as an in-demand inspirational speaker for adults, it was important to Andy that “The Boy Who Changed the World” would reflect the values that he tries to instill in his children and to convey in his speaking engagements. Andy Andrews achieved his goal. Parents who encourage more than mere entertainment in their children’s leisure reading will find this book an appropriate read.
Based on the premise of Andrews’ popular book “The Butterfly Effect,” the true story is written in a style easily understood by children. The captivating watercolor-like illustrations accompanying the story were created by English artist Philip Hurst.
The story begins with little Norman Borlaug growing up amid the cornfields of Iowa. Young readers learn the early influences that led Norman to a life in science and agriculture. Those influences included Norman’s father and George Washington Carver, as well as Carver’s adoptive parents, farmers Moses and Susan Carver, who rescued a young G.W. Carver from thieves and arsonists. As the story continues, it becomes apparent that along the way, the actions of Carver, his adoptive parents and several other key people changed the world and impacted Norman Borlaug’s lifework — hybridizing wheat to produce high yields. Ultimately, the actions of this small group helped Borlaug save the lives of over two billion people by preventing starvation.
The story culminates with a reminder to young readers that each of them has been created as one of a kind to make a difference. Each has the power to change the world, and every thing they do matters. “This,” Andrews has said in interviews associated with this book’s publication, “is the principle that’s most needed in our world today.”
If you want the important children in your life to believe they possess the ability to be anything they want to be, consider putting “The Boy Who Changed the World” on Santa’s wish list.
Andrews dedicates the book “to Austin and Adam, the two boys who have already changed my world.”
A former columnist for Stars and Stripes in Europe, Bonnie Bartel Latino lives in Atmore with her husband, retired Air Force Colonel Tom Latino.
Used with permission from Press Register and Bonnie Bartel Latino This review originally appeared on Sunday, December 15 in the Mobile Press-Register.
To learn more about The Boy Who Changed the World, click here! If you have a story of your own about the book, send us an e-mail at WeCare@AndyAndrews.com. We’d love to hear from you!
– The Andy Andrews Team
