Benjamin Franklin: A Man of Many Talents

by Kathryn Hoffman Satterfield

Take a close-up look at Benjamin Franklin, a jack-of-all-trades who served his country well. Interviews with experts and lively writing deliver the accurate reporting you expect from TIME For Kids®. Historical reproductions and contemporary photographs capture the life of this ingenious man and show how he made life better and safer for Americans today. Read about more remarkable

Genres: Biography, Childrens, History

48 pages, Paperback

First published July 26, 2005

Reviews

[Joecel Franco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really amazed me because besides the great illustration and great narration of Benjamin Franklin’s life, it also includes some of the trivia that a lot of people don’t know about Benjamin Franklin. A lot of people knew Ben Franklin as one of the founding fathers of the United States but what they don’t know is that Benjamin Franklin loved science and he even invented some of the things we still use up to now. As an avid fan of American History, I didn’t know this side of Ben Franklin. I always tied his name to politics and not science. But because of this book, now I know that Ben Franklin was the one who thought about Daylight Saving Time so people have more hours of work when the weather was warm.

I will include this book to my bookshelf inside my classroom. This book is rich with trivias that even I don’t know about. This will definitely give my students new insight about the way they view Ben Franklin. They will have the chance to know that Benjamin Franklin is a scientist too, not just a politician.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book with lots of facts!

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a decent read. Lots of illustrations and fun facts all through the narration were nice. Just keep in mind that it's not a hundred percent accurate and the interview chapter at the end is pretty biased.

Reading Level: 2nd - 4th grades

Cleanliness: It does mention that Franklin lived with a woman he wasn't married to and had children with her. It also mentions he had a son before previously. "Women wrote him poems and fell in love with him."

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a great article for Elementary level students. It's written in a way that almost makes it seem like a novel and not just listing off a bunch of information and facts about Benjamin Franklin. Now only do you get to learn just about Ben Franklin, you get to learn about other historical information during his time. For example, they have "fast facts" on the page that tell you things about how boys and girls would go to school to learn to read and write. Once that was learned, boys would continue on with school and girls would stay home learning how to cook and sew. Included int he article is also questions and answers from interviews with professionals on the topic.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first introduction to Ben Franklin, believe it or not. But it is. I look forward to reading more about his polymathic abilities.
I read it in the library - was seeking another book, but found this.

[Kaylee Gallup]

BIOGRAPHY
Very informational not just on Benjamin Franklin, but other random historical facts as well. Easy, informational read for elementary students.