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Dennis B. Fradin
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Who Was Ben Franklin? Paperback – February 18, 2002

by Dennis Brindell Fradin (Author), Who HQ (Author), John O'Brien (Illustrator)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,296 ratings
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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.
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    7 - 10 years, from customers
  2. Part of series
    Who Was?
  3. Print length
    112 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    3 - 7
  6. Lexile measure
    600L
  7. Dimensions
    8.5 x 5.43 x 0.28 inches
  8. Publisher
    Penguin Workshop
  9. Publication date
    February 18, 2002
  10. ISBN-10
    9780448424958
  11. ISBN-13
    978-0448424958
  12. See all details
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Educators from across the country use Who HQ titles in their classrooms and libraries. Featured on reading lists during the school year and the summer season, teachers look to this series to support and engage students alongside their lesson plans and extended learning programs.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-This is an often funny, always engaging introduction to one of America's most fascinating founding fathers. Franklin is affectionately and respectfully depicted as a man of insatiable intellectual curiosity with a tireless creative and inventive mind who played indispensable roles in the War for Independence and the establishment of the U.S. government. Fradin's anecdotal presentation describes all of the important contributions and inventions the man gave to the world: a national postal system, the first public library, the first volunteer fire department, bifocals, the Franklin stove, the lightning rod, and his revolutionary experiments with electricity. His public service on behalf of the Continental Congress as a diplomat and representative, and his contributions to the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution also receive significant attention. The discussions of Franklin's childhood growing up as one of 17 children and his relationship with his son William who stayed loyal to England during the War for Independence add an interesting personal dimension. Readers are left with an impression of a man of almost unfathomable genius whose many astonishing contributions to American culture, politics, society, and science still profoundly affect us. O'Brien's black-and-white amusing cartoon illustrations are an effective complement to the lighthearted text. A fun, informative introductory biography that will inspire many readers to learn more about this fascinating man.
Edward Sullivan, White Pine School, TN
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. Few historic figures have led a life as varied and interesting as Benjamin Franklin's. From chasing a twister to helping write the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, Franklin's career was anything but dry and dusty. But in an attempt to make the fascinating material readable for third-graders, Fradin has sacrificed his usual smooth writing style. Here, the sentences are choppy, abrupt, and frequently interrupted by drawings. The sequence of events wanders considerably, as well, which will make it difficult for younger students to follow along. The cover is comically enticing, and there are plenty of small, lively, black-and-white sketches, including scenes from the text and labeled diagrams of typesetting. A time line is appended, but there are no notes, bibliography, or index. This is only for libraries needing additional material. Susan Dove Lempke
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0448424959
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Workshop; 1/19/02 edition (February 18, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 112 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780448424958
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0448424958
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 7 - 10 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 600L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 5.43 x 0.28 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,296 ratings

About the author

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Dennis B. Fradin

Dennis B. Fradin

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"I have the time of my life as a children's author," says Dennis Brindell Fradin, prolific author of close to one hundred and fifty books. "I try not to let a day of the year go by without working." Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he earned a creative writing degree from Northwestern University, then taught elementary school for twelve years. In 1989, the National College of Education honored him as the Educator of the Year. He is married to writer Judith Bloom Fradin, who did the photo research on this book. They live in Evanston, Illinois and have three grown children.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
1,296 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Philip D. McGaughey
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for kids!
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2023
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Great book for kids! I got these for my local children's library from their wish list. The kids are excited about reading them.
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F Ghori
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book series
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2024
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Glad that I got this book on Benjamin Franklin for my son, good illustrations and a very inspirational life story for him, hope this sparks his interest in history / biographies!
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AZ
5.0 out of 5 stars Nicely written biography for a younger reader
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2017
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We have read several of the "Who Was" books, so when our youngest child chose to do a book report on Ben Franklin, we knew that the "Who Was Ben Franklin" book was a must have. It's easy enough for a younger child to read (grades 2-4) and contains lots of interesting information. If your child is interested in learning about an historical figure, or has a research assignment or a biography book report to complete, this book (and the series of Who Was books) would be a great choice.
4 people found this helpful
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Jmills
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read for the littles
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2021
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Love how fun and engaging this book was for my 7 and 9 year old. They were both able to read on their own, and both kept asking if they could read more! These “Who Was” books are awesome!
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Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Approachable for very young kids
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2021
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This series has been terrific for our young readers, picking up and sharing interesting facts about historical figures which we weren't even aware of. This book in particular has some interesting tidbits about Ben Franklin that we never learned in school.
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BMK
4.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read. Will be ordering more. Good book to keep kids reading.
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2018
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Most kids like these type of books especially ones that ask a lot of questions. Easy to read and follow. Will be ordering more of these type of books in the future.
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Diane Phillips
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Series
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2021
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One of the things I have noticed lately is that many of our children don't have "real" hero's. They have Marvel hero's or comic book hero's, but they are all fictional. This book and the others in this series are a wonderful and somewhat painless way to introduce children to historical figures and inventors as the real people they were, how they lived, and what they accomplished. My hope is that these little biographies will instill a desire to learn more and inspire.
2 people found this helpful
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Jerry Flack
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Man, Great Series
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2020
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Benjamin Franklin was America's first true Renaissance Man. He was the first man to do so many incredible things. His autobiography is considered by many scholars to be the first American entry in great world-wide literature classics. He was a remarkable inventor who refused to patent his ideas because he wanted lightening rods, bifocals, and other inventions to be free to the public good. This is a super series of biographies of notable lives for young readers. Adults will enjoy this refresher course in American history and young readers will profit handsomely from meeting such a terrific man of so many talents.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Nicolas
5.0 out of 5 stars Agréable à lire
Reviewed in France on May 7, 2023
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Très imagé et agréable à lire
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Noor Khan
5.0 out of 5 stars Good books, great price!
Reviewed in Canada on February 27, 2018
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Good books, great price!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Who was Ben Franklin
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 30, 2019
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👍❤️
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
Reviewed in India on September 6, 2018
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Ultimately good and superb
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Leo Mann
5.0 out of 5 stars bom, muito bom
Reviewed in Brazil on January 2, 2017
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Ben Franklin foi o cientista que, com a ajuda de uma pipa, descobriu que o relâmpago é eletricidade. Ele também foi um estadista, um inventor, uma impressora e um autor, um homem de tais talentos incrivelmente variados que algumas pessoas afirmavam que ele tinha poderes mágicos! Cheio de todos os detalhes as crianças vão querer saber, a verdadeira história de Benjamin Franklin é por turnos triste e engraçado, mas sempre honesta e inspiradora.
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