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. ( )