jB

Jean Fritz does her lively and weird biography of colonial American very nicely. Margot Tomes' illustrations go well with the text. They have an Edward Goreyish quality, no smiles, plus one accidental death. There are endnotes that give more detail about Franklin's life, such as the whole story of why he broke his apprenticeship and ran away to New York and then to Philadelphia.

The book makes use of an unwieldy apprenticeship metaphor, in which the American colonies are likened to a mistreated apprentice, which is mature and ready to set up on its own but which is prevented by mean-spirited Britain. ( )

The life of Ben Franklin is introduced and details of his experience in England is explained such as how he arrived and who he met. ( )

This is a short story that is about the history of Ben Franklin. It is a good book to teach children about the history of the United States.

No matter how busy he was, Ben Franklin always found time to try out new ideas and he was also a man of many talents. He was also an ambassador to England, a printer, an almanac maker, a politician, and even a vegetarian (for a time). Reading level 4+.