Page 12 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, February 7, 2025 Malden Reads presents newest book selection to School Committee Announces newest partnership with Malden High-based Library Service Club: ‘Lov 4 Kids’ By Steve Freker A story of a boy who dreamed about helping his impoverished community achieve energy independence and eventually achieved his goal is the newest selection for Malden Reads 2025 Book of the Year. “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.” whose author is William Kamkwamba (and Byran Mealer), was introduced at Monday night’s Malden School Committee meeting by Jodie Zalk, co-facilitator of Malden Reads and one of its founders back in 2011. According to information on the Malden Reads website (www.maldenreads.org), the story is set in drought-stricken Malawi, which is an impoverished country in southeastern Africa. “‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ tells the remarkable story of a young boy who, deMalden Reads and Love 4 Kids are working together. spite immense challenges, used his ingenuity to bring electricity and water to his village. William Kamkwamba, faced with food scarcity and limited resources, dreamed of harnessing the power of wind energy after learning about windmills in school textbooks.” At Monday night’s meeting, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” is Malden Reads’ 2025 Book Selection. Zalk, in addition to introducing the book to the School Committee members and distributing copies to each of them, also announced and introduced a new partnership between Malden Reads and a new community service group based at Malden High School. At the meeting, Zalk introduced Malden High Librarian Stephen Nedell Love 4 Kids is a new community service group based in the Malden High School Library and now partnering with Malden Reads. and three MHS students. They described a new partnership between their new-this-year service group, Love 4 Kids, which has been formed through students’ love of reading and collaboration within the Malden High School Library, under Nedell’s leadership, in his first year at the helm. The students described some of the many outreach appearances they have already made around the city, including Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Winter Wonders and city-sponsored Star Gazing. The Love 4 Kids group has also immersed itself in regular activities at Malden’s school for its youngest students, the pre-K Early Learning Center. Some activities they are interspersing with literacy skills training are face painting, puppet shows and arts and crafts, they explained. “We have many of the same positions and goals as Malden Reads and we try and help and support our younger students, some of them our siblings and cousins, teaching them literacy skills and improving their creative expression,” said Rashmi KC, one of the students. Zalk and the Malden High School contingent invited the School Committee members to the official Malden Reads kickoff event, which is set for Monday, February 10 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Bread of Life, 54 Eastern Ave. Parking is most plentiful in the Ferry Street lot behind the former Dockside Restaurant. For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers at 617-387-2200 or Info@advocatenews.net
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