Yeah he did a fine job and should be encouraged. I suspect we have a case of basic media malpractice with the hype about this.
I’t the Daily Mail. They make the National Enquirer look like a reputable newspaper.
With that said, it seems to me that instead of denigrating the lad because HE didn't actually invent what he built, or because he may not fully understand exactly how/why it works, adults (even, or better yet especially the 'physics geniuses' and 'history professors' among us) would want to provide some positive feedback regarding his efforts.
Who knows, such a reaction might encourage him to engage in more serious study of the subject matter so that he can learn for himself why 5,800 small mirrors, even when focused at a single point, do not equal "5,000+ suns" (assuming he actually SAID that, and that he was not simply misquoted by the press).
At any rate, even the most cynical among us should be able to agree that a young man who spends his free time working on "death rays" and other science-related projects in his back yard shed, is most likely NOT going to be out spray painting graffiti on buildings or loitering on street corners listening to 'hip-hop' music with his trousers pulled down around his knees while he waits for his next 'public assistance' check to arrive.