Ocean State Libraries

Ben Franklin was the scientist who, with the help of a kite, discovered that lightning is electricity. He was also a statesman, an inventor, a printer, and an author-a man of such amazingly varied talents that some people claimed he had magical powers! Full of all the details kids will want to know, the true story of Benjamin Franklin is by turns sad and funny, but always honest and awe-inspiring.

Originally written as a guide for his son, Benjamin Franklin discusses his life, accomplishments, and ideas.

From his beginnings as a journalist at age sixteen to his retirement from public affairs at eighty-two, there was no break in Benjamin Franklin's activity and accomplishments. A writer, inventor, and statesman, he remains unsurpassed in the range of his natural gifts and the important uses to which he put them.

In this Pulitzer Prize–winning biography, Carl Van Doren incorporates materials from Franklin's letters, manuscripts, journals,

...

When ten-year-old Nolan and his little sister, Olive, find Ben Franklin in their kitchen, they do their best to guide Ben through the new world he helped form.

Benjamin Franklin's companion, Amos the mouse, recounts how he was responsible for Franklin's inventions and discoveries.

Benjamin Franklin's companion, Amos the mouse, recounts how he was responsible for Franklin's inventions and discoveries.

The memoirs of one of America's Founding Fathers spans eighteen years of his life and covers his career as a printer, scientist, and statesman.

They were legalized pirates empowered by the Continental Congress to raid and plunder, at their own considerable risk, as much enemy trade as they could successfully haul back to America's shores. They played a decisive role in America's struggle for independence and later turned their seafaring talents to the slave trade, revealing the conflict between enterprise and morality central to American history.In Patriot Pirates, Robert H. Patton, the grandson...

"Ben Franklin is the most lovable of America{u2019}s founding fathers. His wit, his charm, his inventiveness{u2014}even his grandfatherly appearance{u2014}are legendary. But this image obscures the scandals that dogged him throughout his life. In The Loyal Son, award-winning historian Daniel Mark Epstein throws the spotlight on one of the more enigmatic aspects of Franklin{u2019}s biography: his complex and confounding relationship with his illegitimate...

John, Paul, George & Ben: This humorous and factual history of five lads, who grew up to become Founding Fathers, brings the early days of American history to life with sass and substance. A Horn Book Fanfare Award and New York Times Notable Book. What's the big idea, Ben Franklin?: Ben Franklin's joy of living, new ideas, his humor and ingenuity will capture children's attention and spark their interest in American history. Why don't you get a...