I am Benjamin Franklin

by Brad Meltzer, Christopher Eliopoulos (Illustrator)

Overview

The 21st book in the New York Times bestselling series of biographies about hero's tells the story of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the U.S. who helped draft the Declaration of Independence while making important scientific contributions. 

This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our hero's great—the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of an icon in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers and that always includes the hero's childhood influences. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos.Driven by his curiosity from a young age, Benjamin Franklin's observations about the world led to key discoveries about electricity and other contributions that remain important today.

This friendly, fun biography series inspired the PBS Kids TV show Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. One great role model at a time, these books encourage kids to dream big.

Included in each book are:    
 • A timeline of key events in the hero’s history  
 • Photos that bring the story more fully to life  
 • Comic-book-style illustrations that are irresistibly adorable  
 • Childhood moments that influenced the hero  
 • Facts that make great conversation-starters
 • A virtue this person embodies: Benjamin Franklin's commitment to self-improvement is the highlight of this biography 

You’ll want to collect each book in this dynamic, informative series!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525555919
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	10/13/2020
Series:	Ordinary People Change the World Series
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	109,651
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	610L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

Brad Meltzer is the New York Times bestselling author of Heroes for My Son, Heroes for My Daughter, and a number of suspense novels like The Lightning Rod. He is also the host of the History Channel television shows Brad Meltzer's Decoded and Brad Meltzer's Lost History (in which he helped find the missing 9/11 flag). He lives in Florida with his wife and their three children.

Christopher Eliopoulos began his illustration career at Marvel Comics, and has worked on thousands of comics, including his own Cow Boy and Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius. He is the author and illustrator of the picture books The Yawns Are Coming! and The Giggles Are Coming! and the graphic novels Cosmic Commandos and Monster Mayhem. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and their college-graduate twin sons (who also make an appearance in each Ordinary People Change the World book).

Hometown:

Florida

Date of Birth:

1970

Place of Birth:

New York, New York

Education:

B.A., University of Michigan; J.D., Columbia University

Website:

http://www.bradmeltzer.com

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2020

K-Gr 3—This latest installment in the "Ordinary People Change the World" series covers the life of Benjamin Franklin. Using first-person narration, the text opens with a few anecdotes from Franklin's childhood in Boston before launching into the many accomplishments of his adult life, such as his printing career in Philadelphia, his kite and electricity experiment, and the subsequent invention of the lightning rod. Unexplained cameos of other electricity pioneers in the final spread—from Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison to Doc Brown and Marty McFly—suggest that the biography's focus is on Franklin's scientific achievements. The text also describes Franklin's role as a Founding Father; however, it completely ignores why George III was treating the colonies "unfairly." Franklin's attempts at self-improvement are also featured. One spread shows his chart of 13 virtues, and the final spread advises, "You don't have to be just one thing. But you do need to be a good person." Overall, this formulaic overview may work for some of the other books in this series, but this breezy biography attempts to include too many facets of Franklin's life without context or much detail. Back matter includes a time line, sources, and a further reading list. VERDICT An extra purchase where short biographies are popular.—Erica Ruscio, Ventress Memorial Lib., Marshfield, MA

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