If I Had a Hammer ─ Building Homes and Hope With Habitat for Humanity

President Jimmy Carter’s compelling anecdotes inspire a personal look at Habitat for Humanity that is sure to fire up a younger generation.

Somewhere in West Virginia, a thirteen-year-old girl now invites friends home without embarrassment. In a Brazilian village, children no longer sleep beneath a table when the heavy rains come. For a quarter-century in over ninety countries, Habitat for Humanity has built homes with and for the people who need them, aided by more than a million multigenerational volunteers. Two of the most devoted are former president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn — and now this captivating account, abundantly illustrated with photos, relays their favorite stories with special resonance for young readers. Exploring everything from creative home design (like using window bars in India to keep out monkeys) to the emotional rewards of helping to build a house from the ground up, this is an essential resource for inspiring future youth volunteers.

David Rubel is the author of the SCHOLASTIC ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE PRESIDENTS AND THEIR TIMES and the SCHOLASTIC ATLAS OF THE UNITED STATES. He lives in Chatham, New York.

Jimmy Carter served as the thirty-ninth president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. A prolific author, Jimmy Carter has published more than twenty books. He lives with his wife, Rosalynn, in Plains, Georgia.