B. Franklin, printer

This author has given information about Mr. Franklin that I never heard of before, so be prepared. I asked a historian friend of mine, if this information was true and my friend said "Yes!". So you will have to get this book and read it to find out some of the other side of Ben Franklin that school history books don't publish.

Written for middle-grade children, this book is of the highest order. It is immensely enjoyable, written in an engaging and intelligent style. The illustrations and facsimiles of colonial newspapers contribute a lot, and the author communicates an infectious interest in his subject (though at times it may seem to walk the line of being overly adulatory). With his background in teaching mathematics, I was a little surprised Mr. Adler did not make more of the "magic squares," but no matter. Recommended for use in the classroom, or as summer reading for parents to enjoy with their children; and even for the general reader.

While reading B. FRANKLIN, PRINTER I felt I was immersed in the 18th century with Franklin. I felt I really knew him. I loved the escerpts from colonial newspapers, especially the ones from 1775, the first-hand reports from the firing at Lexington and Concord. I was never bored!