Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia

Benjamin Franklin was one of the busiest men in the American colonies. He was a printer, a postmaster, an inventor, a writer, and a diplomat. When the Revolutionary War began, Ben supported America in the Continental Congress. Like the clever adages from his "Poor Richard's Almanac", Ben Franklin still sets an example for Americans today.

This one's a simple biography of Benjamin Franklin. Like most juvenile bios, it's pretty simplistic and positive. In the case of Ben Franklin, I think that causes the work to suffer. Franklin was a very accomplished man. Since he did so many things and space in the book is limited, the book occasionally degenerates into a list of his accomplishments, with only the most minimal story to carry it along. That alone makes the story of this most interesting man into mere waiting room material.
--J.

1706-1790