What do you think?
Rate this book
Step-Up Books
Meet Benjamin Franklin
Young Benjamin Franklin could do almost anything. At the age of 12, he worked at a print shop. By 15, he had started writing in his brother’s newspaper. His funny writing and clever advice became famous all over the colonies. Ben invented the lightning rod, a new kind of stove, and many other things that improved people’s lives. When the colonies rebelled against England, Ben helped write the Declaration of Independence and the new Constitution. One of the most respected men of his time, Benjamin Franklin remains a role model for Americans to this day.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 1968
43 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Scarf
13 books9 followersMaggie Scarf is a former visiting fellow at the Whitney Humanities Center, Yale University, and a current fellow of Jonathan Edwards College, Yale University. She was for many years a Contributing Editor to The New Republic and a member of the advisory board of the American Psychiatric Press.
Maggie Scarf is the author of six books for adults, including the acclaimed New York Times bestsellers Unfinished Business: Pressure Points in the Lives of Women and Intimate Partners: Patterns in Love and Marriage. Her other books include: Body, Mind, Behavior (a collection of essays, most of them first published in The New York Times Magazine); Intimate Worlds: How Families Thrive and Why They Fail; Secrets, Lies, Betrayal: How the Body Holds the Secrets of a Life, and How to Unlock Them; and, most recently, September Songs: The Bonus Years of Marriage. She is also the author of two books for children. Her works have been published in British, Canadian, German, Hebrew, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French and Swedish editions.
Ms. Scarf is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including a Ford Foundation Fellowship and a Nieman Fellowship in Journalism at Harvard. She has received several National Media Awards from the American Psychological Foundation, including the first prize. During the recent past, Ms. Scarf has served on the National Commission on Women and Depression, has been the recipient of a Certificate of Appreciation from the Connecticut Psychological Association, and also received The Connecticut United Nations Award, which cited her as an Outstanding Connecticut Woman. In 1997, she was awarded a Special Certificate of Commendation from the American Psychiatric Association for an article on patient confidentiality (“Keeping Secrets”), which was published in The New York Times Magazine.
She has appeared on many television programs, including Oprah, Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS News, and CNN, and has been interviewed extensively on radio and for magazines and newspapers across the nation. She currently blogs for Psychology Today.
Maggie Scarf lives in Connecticut with her husband Herb, the Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale, and is the mother of three adult daughters.
Maggie Scarf is the author of six books for adults, including the acclaimed New York Times bestsellers Unfinished Business: Pressure Points in the Lives of Women and Intimate Partners: Patterns in Love and Marriage. Her other books include: Body, Mind, Behavior (a collection of essays, most of them first published in The New York Times Magazine); Intimate Worlds: How Families Thrive and Why They Fail; Secrets, Lies, Betrayal: How the Body Holds the Secrets of a Life, and How to Unlock Them; and, most recently, September Songs: The Bonus Years of Marriage. She is also the author of two books for children. Her works have been published in British, Canadian, German, Hebrew, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French and Swedish editions.
Ms. Scarf is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including a Ford Foundation Fellowship and a Nieman Fellowship in Journalism at Harvard. She has received several National Media Awards from the American Psychological Foundation, including the first prize. During the recent past, Ms. Scarf has served on the National Commission on Women and Depression, has been the recipient of a Certificate of Appreciation from the Connecticut Psychological Association, and also received The Connecticut United Nations Award, which cited her as an Outstanding Connecticut Woman. In 1997, she was awarded a Special Certificate of Commendation from the American Psychiatric Association for an article on patient confidentiality (“Keeping Secrets”), which was published in The New York Times Magazine.
She has appeared on many television programs, including Oprah, Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS News, and CNN, and has been interviewed extensively on radio and for magazines and newspapers across the nation. She currently blogs for Psychology Today.
Maggie Scarf lives in Connecticut with her husband Herb, the Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale, and is the mother of three adult daughters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 4, 2020
Covers the high points in a very engaging style.
May 16, 2019
It's funny, because in the years since my childhood fascination with my personal set of these "Step-Up" books, I have learned a great deal about Benjamin Franklin. I imagine this book introduced me to his time as an ambassador in Europe during the Revolutionary War, which is perhaps his most significant contribution to American history. But all I can remember from Meet Benjamin Franklin was a huge emphasis on Franklin as an inventor. Maybe I just thought the other stuff was boring!
June 14, 2018
Silence Dogood ! Huzzah 🇺🇸
August 13, 2020
C. nonfiction, children's, biography, from stash, keep
October 3, 2007
I like this book because it talks about history.He was a paper printer when he 12 years old.Then he went to Philadelphia by himself.Then he lower the taxs.later they put it back up so he made it lower again. when he got home he died in his home.
November 6, 2009
We love the old Random House Step-up series. We're on a Benjamin Franklin rabbit trail and enjoyed this one. The text and illustrations really capture the young reader.
November 12, 2015
His sons name is William. Wait William! That's my Brothers name!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews