The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews
The Boy Who Changed the World
By Andy Andrews 2 out of 5 boomarks
The Boy Who Changed the World is a creatively composed children’s story of how one person’s actions affect those around him. As the story unfolds, we are introduced to a number of characters who re-appear later in the story in an unexpected way. In the end, we learn that the actions of one small boy had a ripple effect on others who went on to influence the world in amazing ways. This is later explained in terms of Lorenz’s “Butterfly Effect”, a non-theistic theory which states that variations in dynamic systems are traceable back to seemingly unrelated initial conditions.
Despite having a handful of clever twists in the plot, The Boy Who Changed the World is not a book that I would recommend for parents who are concerned about passing a Biblical worldview onto their children. God’s role in this book is limited to that of designer and creator without being recognized as the hand of providence which guides and directs history. Rather than recognizing God as sovereign over the affairs of the world, it teaches that the great achievements which have advanced society are the results of human actions. Rather than presenting a biblical view of history, The Boy Who Changed the World presents a synchonicity between cherished Christian doctrines and secular humanism.
Despite the anthropocentric message, The Boy Who Changed the World does attempt to teach personal responsibility and self awareness of a child’s actions; and for this I give it two out of five bookmarks. If this book finds its way into your child’s hands, I would recommend supplementing the reading of the story with an explanation of God’s sovereignty over history. To do otherwise would be to teach your children that history is an unguided series of cause and effect events.
