Benjamin Franklin (In Their Own Words (Scholastic Hardcover))

Rating:
Summary: Benjamin Franklin
Review: The "In Their Own Words" series tells the story of famous Americans using various primary documents. For the life of Benjamin Franklin, authors Peter and Connie Roop use not only Franklin's autobiography, but his letters, pamphlets, scientific papers, essays, and, of course, his epigrammatic sayings from "Poor Richard's Almanac." However, Franklin's words are not used as much as you would think. So while this is a solid juvenile biography of Franklin, it really does not use his own words much more than an "ordinary" biography. This book has various illustrations, including paintings representing Franklin's life, photographs of a printing press and some of his inventions from his life, and reproductions of some of the things he printed. A photograph of his grave in Philadelphia is accompanied by a reproduction of his handwritten instructions for his epitaph. In the final analysis, despite the irony of the book not living up to its own title, "In Their Own Words: Benjamin Franklin" will give young readers a solid introduction to the life of the greatest American president never to be president.

Rating:
Summary: Not too many of his own words but a solid biography
Review: The "In Their Own Words" series tells the story of famous Americans using various primary documents. For the life of Benjamin Franklin, authors Peter and Connie Roop use not only Franklin's autobiography, but his letters, pamphlets, scientific papers, essays, and, of course, his epigrammatic sayings from "Poor Richard's Almanac." However, Franklin's words are not used as much as you would think. So while this is a solid juvenile biography of Franklin, it really does not use his own words much more than an "ordinary" biography. This book has various illustrations, including paintings representing Franklin's life, photographs of a printing press and some of his inventions from his life, and reproductions of some of the things he printed. A photograph of his grave in Philadelphia is accompanied by a reproduction of his handwritten instructions for his epitaph. In the final analysis, despite the irony of the book not living up to its own title, "In Their Own Words: Benjamin Franklin" will give young readers a solid introduction to the life of the greatest American president never to be president.

Rating:
Summary: This is a very good book
Review: This book is a very good book because we can follow the good characters Benjamin Franklin did in his life.

Rating:
Summary: Benjamin Franklin
Review: What would you call Benjamin Franklin? Was he a scientist, an inventor, a printer, a postmaster, a diplomat, or a founding father? Well, to find out, read
" Benjamin Franklin," written by Peter and Connie Roop. Ben Franklin`s life began by being a poor soap maker`s son in Boston. By the time he was 17, he had already run off to Philadelphia to be a printer`s apprentice. During his life he had helped discover and create many different things like bifocals, the Franklin stove, lightning rods, electrical circuits, and the United States Constitution.
In this biograpy, Peter and Connie Roop have shown the readers not their opinions, but Franklin`s instead. This book uses mostly primary sources like Ben Franklin`s autobiography and letters. I liked this book because it was not just a story, but partly a mystery and because it was half story, half fact by fact.
I recommend this book to 8-9 year old readers who enjoy reading about U.S. history. So what is a scientist, an inventor, a printer, a postmaster, a diplomat and a founding father? Benjamin Franklin, of course!