First published 2011
Darell Hammond grew up in a group home with seven siblings. In 1995, he read a Washington Post story that changed his life. Two children had died in an abandoned car on a sweltering summer day in southeast DC. They had nowhere else to play. The tragedy sparked Hammond's mission. He founded KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit that transforms empty lots into playgrounds. Hammond mobilized communities to design and build safe play spaces for their children. His organization worked in the toughest neighborhoods across North America. Over 2,000 barren sites became vibrant playgrounds through the efforts of more than a million volunteers. Hammond believed play was not a luxury but a necessity for children's development. He argued that access to safe play environments was every child's fundamental right. This memoir chronicles how one person's vision created a movement that touched countless families and proved that civic action can ripple outward to transform entire communities.
Genres: social-issues, non-fiction, biography-memoir, social-justice, activism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: inspirational-true-story, social-entrepreneurship
Setting: North America, Washington DC
Period: 1995
304 pages · Hardcover · Rodale Books