Book tells story of promise made & kept


Title: “Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg Mortenson
and the Three Cups of Tea”
Author: Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers 2009
This story is about children in Korphe, Pakistan, who did not have a school, paper or pencils. They had to write in the dirt and sand with sticks. Their teacher came only three times a week.

One day a sick, cold, hungry man came staggering into their village. He told the people he had lost his way while climbing the mountains. The people of Korphe took care of him until he was well enough to leave.

Because he was a nurse, the people called him Dr. Greg. Dr. Greg wanted to do something good for the people of Korphe since they had saved his life. He went to the wise man of the village to ask what he should do. He said “listen to the wind.”

Dr. Greg heard the voices of the children (and) he realized that they needed a school. He promised to come back and build one. He built that school and many more through the years.

I thought this book was great because it has a lot of details that help you understand the story. The story is also full of surprises and they keep you interested in the book. I am hooked on the book and have read it several times.

I think my mom would like to read this book. It is not just a book for children. Adults would enjoy reading this as well.

I think that the author chose to write this book because it shows his life and how he was able to help people. He wants people to understand what they can do to help others as well.

This book review was written by Vanessa Scaramuzzino, who is a third-grade pupil at the Taylor Mills School, Manalapan. The book review is part of a project that thirdgraders at the school are working on this year as part of a library and media center enhancement grant from the OceanFirst Foundation. The News Transcript is publishing selected book reviews from the Taylor Mills School pupils.

Editor’s note: During February the Taylor Mills School connected the celebration of the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln and the Pennies for Peace Project. The State Library encouraged all libraries to celebrate Lincoln’s bicentennial by collecting pennies for the Pennies for Peace Project.

The Taylor Mills School community prepared for the project by talking about Abraham Lincoln and his accomplishments and contributions to the United States. Students then read the book “Listen to the Wind,” the story of Dr. Greg Mortenson and the Three Cups of Tea.

This is a children’s book based on Greg Mortenson’s best seller “Three Cups of Tea.” The children collected money in their classrooms and then brought their filled containers to the library to put into a larger container. At the end of the project the teachers had the students estimate how much money had been collected.

The school community collected 26,093 pennies for the project. The pennies amounted to $260.93.

The money that was collected will go to building schools and school libraries in small villages in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson’s main concern is providing education for girls in these areas. For more information visit the Internet website at http://wwwpenniesforpeace.org or visit the website http://www.threecupsoftea.com.