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Library | Call Number | Status |
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Searching... Stillwater Public Library | Q J 921 FRANKLIN | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
"What good shall I do today?"
How Ben Franklin answered that question -- through his work as a writer, printer, statesman, and inventor -- forever established him as one of America's greatest figures. On one day in 1729 he published the first edition of the Pennsylvania Gazette; on another day he changed the Declaration of Independence by adding the famous words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident"; and it was all in a day's work when he planted the first willow trees in America.
Modeled on his own Poor Richard's Almanack, this unique scrapbook captures Franklin's countless accomplishments. Biography and anecdote, cartoon and etching mesh to create a fascinating portrait of this most fascinating man. Anyone interested in the birth of American democracy...or curious about the rise of the U.S. postal system...or wondering how paper money came to be...or wanting to know how Ben Franklin was part of it all, is sure to pore over Ben Franklin's Almanac.
Author Notes
In addition to studying Ben, Fleming has written numerous books for children
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Fleming (The Hatmaker's Sign: A Story by Benjamin Franklin) apes the design of Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack with her clever format here, to "illuminate each of the many facets" of her subject (as the author states in a foreword). Organized into chapters on larger themes, such as "Boyhood Memories" and "Tokens of a Well-Lived Life," the handsome oblong volume offers concise, engaging "bits and pieces" that both offer a broader context for Franklin's life events and specific insights into his character. For example, a piece called "The War Before" (in the "Revolutionary Memorabilia" section) describes how the aftermath of the French and Indian War helped fuel the colonists' anger and pave the way for the Revolutionary War; and an account in "Souvenirs from France" tells how Franklin outwitted spies to force a French alliance in that war. Throughout, pen-and-ink portraits, black-and-white etchings, humorous cartoons and facsimiles of newspaper and book pages (including his own Pennsylvania Gazette and Almanack help bring the man and his time to life. A generous peppering of primary source material allows Franklin's wit and personality-and contradictions-to emerge. Franklin sings the praises of his wife, Deborah, in a poem ("Of their Chloes and Phillisses poets may prate/ I sing of my plain country Joan/ Now twelve years my wife, still the joy of my life/ Blest day that I made her my own") yet for the last 17 years of her life, the two were separated by the Atlantic Ocean. Fleming's carefully chosen details shine light on Franklin's roles, from postmaster of Philadelphia, "president of Pennsylvania" and national abolitionist, to inventor, editor of the Declaration of Independence and experimenter with electricity. An opening timeline helps keep the chronology straight (an index is provided, too). While the volume's layout encourages readers to dip in and out, Fleming delivers a cohesive and complex portrait of a brilliant, productive and shrewd man who helped shape this country. Ages 10-14. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate, Middle School) In an unusual blending of form and function, Fleming outlines Franklin's life by offering discrete snippets of information concerning his childhood, family, scientific accomplishments, community achievements, and political contributions in a facsimile of Franklin's own Poor Richard's Almanack. Taken together, these details provide a complete picture of the man, although they may slight some of his complexities. The most successful sections mirror Poor Richard's contents: the pithy sayings; the witty stories; and the scientific contributions, including bifocals, magic squares, the Franklin stove, and a map of the Gulf Stream. These pieces can be read independently, while the sections covering the American Revolution and Franklin's years abroad, like a series of political broadsides, depend on one another to build context and show his growing sense of identity with and patriotism toward the American colonies. Hundreds of illustrations help create an interesting layout and support the scrapbook-like presentation. Fleming includes a chapter-by-chapter bibliography, picture sources, and a list of juvenile books and websites about Franklin, but is less informative with text attribution, leaving undocumented such opinions as ""Never before had Ben heard such scorching sentiments so freely expressed"" (describing Franklin's reaction to Common Sense). While the layout encourages browsing, remember Ben's adage: ""Haste makes waste."" There's much for readers to savor here, and much to revisit. Index. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Gr. 6-9. There's no shortage of books on Franklin, but this biography, which springs from Fleming's lifelong fascination with the multitalented man, is unlike anything that has come before, and it bears no resemblance to Fleming's picture-book work. Designed more like a scrapbook than an almanac, it's a visually rich but densely packed amalgamation of anecdotal narrative, boxed insets, black-and-white reproductions of period documents and artwork, and material obtained from Franklin's personal papers--all organized into topical chapters on Franklin's family life, writings, scientific pursuits, and political involvement. The whole gives an excellent sense of the time in which Franklin lived, but the thematic organization here sacrifices continuity and leaves occasional gaps. The science section is perhaps the best as it falls neatly into invention-specific discussions. Lively anecdotes greatly expand the main text, and numerous quotes by and about Franklin give the man a truly human face, even as they raise questions that continue to puzzle historians. A fitting tribute to a "good gentleman" whose life was well and energetically lived. Web sites and further readings are appended. --Stephanie Zvirin Copyright 2003 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-9-In her introduction, Fleming says that she set out to write a straightforward biography of one of America's most forward-thinking and inventive statesmen but found the form to be too restrictive and not true to Franklin's wide-ranging interests and accomplishments. She has written instead a compendium of "-bits and pieces by subject" put into eight chapters with headings such as "Boyhood Memories" and "Tokens of a Well-Lived Life." In scrapbook style, the chapters are centered around excellent-quality visuals-portraits, etchings, cartoons, and sketches-linked together with engrossing text and numerous nuggets of Franklin's prose, which include his reminiscences and observations. The result is an authoritative work of depth, humor, and interest, presenting Franklin in all his complexity, ranging from the heroic to the vulgar, the saintly to the callous. Read cover to cover, the book gives a three-dimensional picture of a life, but it is equally good for dipping into and turning up the interesting anecdote or bit of wisdom, thus appealing to both serious readers and browsers. Beginning with a year-by-year chronology, the volume also includes lengthy bibliographies, a list of picture sources, Web sites, and a thorough index. Reminiscent of Franklin's own Poor Richard's Almanack, this book is a superlative example of the biographer's craft and a fitting tribute to the gentleman himself.-Ann Welton, Grant Elementary School, Tacoma, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
How does a biographer do justice to the life of Benjamin Franklin when he lived so long and did so much? Fleming has succeeded with a scrapbook organized by topic rather than chronology: boyhood, family, writing, science, thoughts on a well-lived life, revolution, France, and "Final Remembrances." Readers can dip in anywhere and find something of interest: rules for being a better writer, an essay on "whirlwinds in his bowels," Ben's role in the fight for independence, Ben at the Constitutional Convention. The inviting format is loaded with maps, cartoons, portraits, engravings, newspaper ads, and excerpts from Franklin's writing. The timeline at the beginning of the volume helps put events in order, and the author's biographical comments are interspersed with the memorabilia. The solid bibliography for young readers and guide to Web sites will lead readers further. An excellent resource and worthy companion to more traditional biographies. (introduction, picture credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Table of Contents
| Courteous Reader | p. IV |
| A Year-by-Year Look at Ben's Life | p. VI |
| Boyhood Memories | p. 2 |
| The Family Album | p. 14 |
| The Writer's Journal | p. 22 |
| Tokens of a Well-Lived Life | p. 34 |
| The Scientist's Scrapbook | p. 46 |
| Revolutionary Memorabilia | p. 58 |
| Souvenirs From France | p. 78 |
| Final Remembrances | p. 94 |
| Bibliography | p. 106 |
| Picture Sources | p. 108 |
| Books About Ben for Young Readers | p. 114 |
| Web Sites About Ben | p. 115 |
| Index | p. 116 |
