I liked this book. It tells interesting stories about the life of Franklin, and includes beautiful illustrations in a way that would not intimidate an elementary school student. Although at first glance, a student my be reluctant to to pull it from the shelf because it might seem like it's too long. However, if they take a peek on the inside, they will find that the sentences are not complicated and the font is large. Plus, the literature is broken up with lots of pictures. Franklin stories are always fin to read and this author includes some fun stories from his youth. Teaching ideas include a social studies class, inventors, statesmen, pioneer, citizenship. I would recommend this book for grades 3-5. ( )

This is a wonderful book (complete biography) about the life of Benjamin Franklin; commoner to founding father. The authors did a great job of selecting just the right information to keep the book interesting throughout. Benjamin Franklin is so important in American history and reading about his life helps the reader understand why. This book would be a great substitution/addition to a history book.

I especially enjoyed reading this biography about Ben Franklin. It has been quite some time since I learned about B. Franklin in school and my remembrance of his importance was somewhat faint. I knew that he had discovered the concepts of electricity from lightening, and that he was a founding father but he did so much more. It was neat to relearn that he invented the postal system, fire station, fireplace/stove etc. He also wanted to abolish slavery early on, was a great swimmer and was a very effective ambassador for America.

In the classroom, this would be a great teaching tool for creating timelines. I would have the students read about Ben Franklin and make a timeline of his life. I would also use this book as part of a science unit to teach the students about famous inventors and inventions. This book would be a good teaching tool for teaching a unit on the American Revolution as well. ( )