Ben Franklin's Almanac: Being a True Account of the Good Gentleman's Life

ANNOTATION

Brings together eighteenth century etchings, artifacts, and quotations to create the effect of a scrapbook of the life of Benjamin Franklin.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

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. Candace Fleming spent three years researching Ben Franklin's Almanac by scouring original sources from the American Philosophical Society, the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the Franklin Collection at Yale University, and even by wandering around Liberty Square in Philadelphia, trying to invoke Ben Franklin and eighteenth-century America. Fleming has been a Ben fan since fourth grade -- when she read Ben and Me -- and she even sang happy birthday to Ben on his 296th birthday.

FROM THE CRITICS

The New York Times

Franklin is at his most fascinating and delightful in Candace Fleming's neatly conceived new biography, Ben Franklin's Almanac. Taking her cue from the format of Poor Richard's Almanack (which was outsold only by the Bible in colonial America), she has compiled an easy-to-read, beautifully designed folio of facts, art, essays and quotations by and about Franklin. There are many useful lists -- timelines, inventions, the names and birth dates of his 16 siblings -- as well as helpful rules for a good life, wicked jokes and insightful anecdotes. — Elizabeth Crow

Publishers Weekly

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.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

Fleming has taken an interesting approach to the life story of Benjamin Franklin. The book can be opened to any spread, where you will gain insight into the interest, accomplishments, family and political side of this American icon. Franklin was a printer by training, but having an inquisitive mind, he was also an inventor of items such as the Franklin stove and bifocals. He also was an ardent supporter of American independence from Great Britain and an able statesman and politician. The book is set up like his famous almanac, and the pages of the book are peppered with excerpts from Franklin's own writings. Also, he was involved in local affairs and established the first subscription library in Philadelphia and the first volunteer fire department. Today's kids are used to getting information in "sound bites," but these are more extensive and grouped so that together they form a fuller picture of the man and his life. The oversized book is full of illustrations that will help students by reinforcing or further illuminating the text. Fleming has provided an excellent bibliography that compliments the book chapters as well as noting the picture sources. Her book also contains an index, additional books and Web sites that will be of particular interest to students. She notes that she has been intrigued by Franklin for years and has even written a book about him for younger readers￯﾿ﾽThe Hatmaker's Sign: A Story of Benjamin Franklin. Both will enrich any library or classroom collection. 2003, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, Ages 10 to 14.

School Library Journal

A unique approach to biography allows Fleming to create a fascinating scrapbook of this multifaceted man's life and accomplishments. Excerpts of Franklin's writings, a time line, reproductions of documents, cartoons, and sketches enhance this intriguing account. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews