Harvesting the Wind

by Carrie Barefoot Dickerson with Patricia Lemon

Illustrations by Gwen Ingram

In her final year, Carrie Dickerson worked hard on this history of wind power designed for young people that I am presently publishing on demand. She approved the final draft the afternoon before her death on November 17, 2006. I believe that gave her the sense of completion that she probably needed to be able to let go of life. I consider it a valuable contribution to the current debate in this country over global warming.

In this book, two Cherokee/Kaw children report on their research into the history of windmills and the electricity-generating wind turbines that already light many of our homes and cities. Their story includes stops for local color in countries worldwide and for important technical developments.

Harvesting the Wind is ideal for home schooling and interdisciplinary courses. Among other fields of study, it incorporates arithmetic, science, history, geography, economics, and literature into its narrative—and includes an illustrated glossary and many URLs where interested readers can learn more about all the subjects touched upon.

Written for children and lavishly illustrated, this readable narrative offers practical information and resources for any individual interested in safe, low-cost, non-polluting power—power that can free countries from dependence on other nations and families from dependence on the grid!

One of the characters concludes, "we can have plenty of energy to run our world—without fossil fuels or radioactivity."

Writing and publishing a book—especially one designed for children—is an expensive undertaking, so The Carrie Dickerson Foundation, an IRS-approved non-profit corporation founded recently to disseminate factual information about renewable energy sources, underwrote the expenses of producing the book to make it more affordable. For that reason, both my mother and her illustrator, Gwen Ingram of Drumright, agreed to absorb the shipping and handling expenses. Orders are distributed by mail from New Hampshire by the printer/publisher, so there is no sales tax charged.

The standard edition, printed on #67 Bristol board made from 67% post-consumer recycled paper and wire-comb bound, is designed to stand up well to children's rough treatment. It is available for $25/copy. Another, even more durable edition printed on HP Toughpaper^® and designed for libraries and schools, is available for $34/copy.