Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my...

by Adam Mansbach, Alan Zweibel

Dear Mr. Franklin,

First of all, let me just say that this Assignment is Stupid. You are Dead. Why am I writing a letter to Some dead guy I've never even met?

This is the start to a most unlikely pen pal relationship between thirteen-year-old Franklin Isaac Saturday (Ike) and Benjamin Franklin. Before the fateful extra credit assignment that started it all, Ike's life was pretty normal. He was avoiding the popularity contests of middle school, crushing hard on Clare Wanzandae and trying not roll his eyes at his stepfather, Dirk-the-Jerk's lame jokes.

But all that changes when, in a successful effort to make Claire Wanzandae laugh, Ike mails his homework assignment to Ben Franklin and he writes back. Soon, things go awry. After Ike has an embarrassing moment of epic proportions in front of Claire involving a playground, non-alcoholic beer, and a lot of kettle corn, Ike decides he needs to find a way to win Claire back. With some help from his new friend, B-Fizzle, can Ike get the girl and make his mark in history?

Genres: Humor, Fantasy, Young Adult, Time Travel, Middle Grade, Teen, Relationships

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 8, 2015

About the author

Adam Mansbach is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Go the Fuck to Sleep, as well as the novels Rage is Back, The End of the Jews (winner of the California Book Award), and Angry Black White Boy, and the memoir-in-verse I Had a Brother Once. With Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel, he co-authored For This We Left Egypt, a finalist for the Thurber Award for American Humor, and the bestselling A Field Guide to the Jewish People. Mansbach's debut screenplay, for the Netflix Original BARRY, was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and an NAACP Image Award, and he is a two-time recipient of the Reed Award and the American Association of Political Consultants' Gold Pollie Award, for his 2012 Obama/Biden campaign video "Wake The Fuck Up" and his 2020 Biden/Harris campaign ad "Same Old," both starring Samuel L. Jackson. Mansbach's work has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Times Book Review, Esquire, The Believer, The Guardian, and on National Public Radio's All Things Considered, The Moth Storytelling Hour, and This American Life. His next novel, The Golem of Brooklyn, will be published by One World in September.

Reviews

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining! Who knew Ben Franklin was so funny. ;)

[Syd · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has a pretty good concept but it is not exactly done well I love Ben Franklin but this book kind of ruined that for me

[Julie Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly I should have known based on the title but I decided to read it hoping it would be something for my reluctant readers, maybe boys. Yeah, no. I knew at the end of the first chapter that there was no way I was going to recommend it or buy it.

Franklin Isaac (who goes by Ike) has an assignment to write an imaginary letter to a famous person. He chooses to write to Ben Franklin whom he was namd after. In that first letter he mentioned Jungle Juice which "makes the chicks lose control". I was done at that point. A 13 yr old protagonist speaking about girls that way? Nope? In addition, he himself stole a six pack and drank 2 beers (they ended up being non-alcoholic but he didn't know it at the time). I also worry that the correspondence between Ik and Franklin (yes, it turns out they actually communicate) will be hard to read - Ben Franklin talks in the English of his day.

There were parts I did like and I can see middle school boys buying this and enjoying it but I don't feel I can promote it.

[Chelsey Saatkamp · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given this at BookCon a few years ago and kept it because Benjamin Franklin is my fave Founding Father (sorry, Hamilton). Finally got around to reading it.

The premise of this story is that a 7th grade screw-up named Franklin is trading letters back-and-forth through time with Benjamin Franklin, or "B-Freezy," as he likes to call him. Some of these interactions were pretty humorous- such as B. Franks asking and hoping if the turkey, not the eagle, is the national bird, and his casual insults about Jefferson and Adams.

But I guess I'm not the target audience for this. In fact, I'm not really sure who is. You'd assume middle-grade readers, and the juvenile (ie toilet) humor would seem to indicate that. But there were a lot of references to underage drinking and getting to second base, which I thought was...not super appropriate for 12 year olds? Or is this a thing middle-grade readers are into these days??? Were they into it when I was in middle school and I was just super sheltered???

Was everything I taught a lie???

[Tristan Starzec · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now, you might notice: I started the book on the first of August and ended it on the 18th. The reason it took me so long to finish this small book was because I COULDN'T GET INTO IT. For one thing, the publisher says it is 9-12 years old, but if you flip to the back, it says ABOUT THE AUTHOR. One of the first things it says is the books he wrote, one of them having the F word inside it. Also, the main character gets drunk in the middle of a midnight hangout with his friends. A 9-year old wouldn't even get it. Not only is it not age appropriate but it is written like the author himself was drunk while writing it. There were many mistakes AND it wasn't well written.

I give this 1 star because I can't do 0.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

A few things: its badly formatted, which may be fixed by the publisher; it's really not appropriate for the given age group, which I did tell the publisher; and the main character isn't likeable. I like this author usually. :( I might try again at publish time, just in case. I really wanted to like it!

[Garrison Behan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stupid Cliff hanger that is completely random.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Franklin “Ike” Saturday is given an extra credit assignment to write to a historical figure, so he writes a letter to his namesake, Benjamin Franklin, and fills it with insults, personal details, and sleazy references to drinking and playing ‘spin the bottle’ since he thinks that his teacher isn’t even going to read the letter. He affixes an antique stamp from his stepfather’s stamp collection onto the envelope for extra realism. After almost having his letter read out loud by his teacher, snatched by boys who want to humiliate him, and rescued by his crush, Ike mails the letter so that nobody can read what he’s written. Much to his surprise, the stamp acts like a time portal, and he receives a letter in return from the actual Benjamin Franklin! With the help of his crush, Claire Wanzandae, Ike begins a pen-pal correspondence with Benjamin Franklin that illuminates some of the struggles that the Founding Fathers went through in forming this great country, but mostly reveals Franklin’s personal insecurities related to his receding hairline. In an effort to help, Ike and Claire give Franklin some information from the future that turns out to have dire consequences.

Where should I begin? With the repeated references to underage drinking, ‘Jungle Juice,’ and getting to first and second base? With Ike stealing a case of beer from his stepfather? With the disrespectful, flippant tone of the letters to a Founding Father of our country? With the difficulty in reading Benjamin Franklin’s responses, replete with old-fashioned words, historical references, and random capital letters? Nothing about this book is great, and it is definitely not appropriate for the ages of the intended middle grade audience.

Grades: 7-8
Genre: Humor, Coming of Age, Time Travel
Characterization: Mediocre
Literary Merit: Mediocre
Recommendation: Optional purchase

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book held such promise! Franklin Isaac begins a penpal relationship with Ben Franklin and it works. Franklin poses some of his problems and Ben's offers solutions although he is in a different century! I liked how we learned some facts about Ben through these exchanges. What fell short was when the time travel piece did not happen. And then at the end of the book, it just ended abruptly. I know I am viewing this through an adult's eyes and kids probably don't care.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a kick out of this. While the main character makes some bad choices, he also learns some great life lessons. The letters from Ben Franklin could be hard to read for many kids (I even found myself having to slow down with the words he used and his sentence structures.) But there's a lot of humor throughout.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

The jokes aren't that funny, and I thought the main character should be a 9th grader, not a 7th grader. Not a fan of this series. I hope no one hands this book to my rising 7th grader.

[MaryBeth Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 12 year old loved this book. History + sardonic humor = winning

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 1 out of 5]

Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my... by Adam Mansbach and Alan Zwiebelis is a middle grade novel. This is the start to a most unlikely pen pal relationship between thirteen-year-old Franklin Isaac Saturday (Ike) and Benjamin Franklin. Before the fateful extra credit assignment that started it all, Ike's life was pretty normal. He was avoiding the popularity contests of middle school, crushing hard on Clare Wanzandae and trying not roll his eyes at his stepfather, Dirk-the-Jerk's lame jokes. But all that changes when, in a successful effort to make Claire Wanzandae laugh, Ike mails his homework assignment to Ben Franklin and he writes back. Soon, things go awry. After Ike has an embarrassing moment of epic proportions in front of Claire involving a playground, non-alcoholic beer, and a lot of kettle corn, Ike decides he needs to find a way to win Claire back. With some help from his new friend, B-Fizzle, can Ike get the girl and make his mark in history?

I really wanted to like Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my... but I had some serious issues with it. I might be out of touch, but I do not think the middle grade set is sneaking out of the house with stolen alcohol or having parties that include alcohol pilfered from their parent's liquor cabinets and games of spin the bottle. These things are framed in a way that makes them look normal at best, part of the cool kid activities at worst. The book is being marketed for 10 to 14 year olds, and I just do not think that this is quite appropriate. I would not want to even encourage this or normalize it for high school students, who are much more likely to have exposure or heard talk from friends about similar activities.

Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my... has some elements that I did like. I liked the idea of mailing a letter with an time appropriate stamp and having that mail reach a person from that time period. I liked that through the majority of the book readers, and the characters, are on the fence about if it is really happening or is someone, somehow is playing an trick. I like that Ike learns that he needs to be himself, and true to himself, in order for the people most important to him to trust him, and want to spend time with him. However, I found the disrespectful tone Ike often used, and the activities I found to be not age appropriate, really ruined the read for me. I think the concept has promise, and could have been done extremely well, but it failed here. I was further frustrated when I pushed myself to finish the book only to have it end on a cliffhanger.

I would not recommend Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my. I found it frustrating on several levels, and rather sad because of it.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley.

Ben Franklin Huge pain in my… by Adam Mansbach is about a middle school aged Franklin (named after the one and only Benjamin Franklin). He received an assignment to write a letter to a historical icon for school and he decided to write his letter to Benjamin Franklin and shared a lot of personal information in this letter about his life, his lack of popularity, how things are at school and home, the girl he likes and how he blames Ben Franklin for inspiring his parents to name him Franklin because he hates the name.

He wanted to make his letter look even more authentic so he placed a stamp from his stepfathers stamp collection that looked really, really old, sealed the envelope shut with candle wax, and used his best old fashioned calligraphy type writing and wrote out the address he found on the internet for Benjamin Franklin. He was under the impression that the teacher wouldn’t be reading these so when it came his turn to share he refused. He didn’t want to give the kids in his school any more reasons to make fun of him. Even though they still made fun of him because he didn’t want to share his letter.

The girl he likes, Claire, defended him in front of the other boys and when he was walking her home they passed a mailbox so as a joke he dropped the letter into the mailbox. The crazy thing was that he started to get letters back from someone claiming to be the real Benjamin Franklin…..how could that be? He’s dead right? They continue to write letters back and forth and begin to realize that the letters really are traveling through time somehow. Just when Franklin thought he was being helpful he did some things that changed the past leaving him and Claire questioning if it would change the future as they know it.

I felt that this story was definitely for older audiences. It dealt with a lot of underage drinking, bullying and teenage romance. I did find that the writing style of Benjamin Franklin’s letters to be a little confusing but I understand that the author was trying to make it sound like it was coming from someone in 1776. It was just a little hard to follow at times.

As the past began to change based on the items that Franklin and Claire sent to the past, the reader is kept on the edge of their seat wondering what is going to happen next and how they will get out of this situation. The cliff hanger at the end leaves you wanting a second book just to see how it all turns out.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of us have had assignments for class that we thought were lame - the dreaded "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" essay, for example. But Ike has to write a letter to someone from history to get extra credit, and he picks Benjamin Franklin since his father named him after the famous inventor (Franklin Isaac "Ike" Saturday). So he writes to Mr. Franklin and displays a lot of 7th grade sarcasm, but he also tells Ben some of his current problems in middle school life. Through a strange quirk of the post office, when Ike puts a vintage stamp on the letter and actually drops it in the mailbox, Benjamin Franklin receives it and they begin writing back and forth.

Imagine, one of the founding fathers of our country sending advice to a lovesick seventh grader. Ben tells Ike that he doesn't appreciate being referred to as "B-Freezy" or a "stringy-haired windbag," but that he does feel sympathetic toward Ike's lack of popularity in middle school, since he has to contend with Thomas Jefferson getting all the attention while they are writing the Declaration of Independence. They continue sending each other advice, Ben telling Ike about his own pursuit of lady friends and Ike telling Ben about future events in U.S. history, until there is a major problem. Those of you who are familiar with stories that involve time travel know all about the dangers of derailing the timeline by tampering with the past..Let's just leave it at that, shall we? It does set up the story very well for a sequel, because some situations will need to be repaired or it could be the end of the world as we know it.

Ike's voice is a very convincing portrayal of middle school life and Ben's letters show us a humorous side of the Committee of Five and the founding fathers that history class does not usually reveal. Readers who enjoy historical fiction, or humorous stories with historical figures mixed in, will have an entertaining read with this book. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my ***” by Adam Mansbach and Alan Zweibel is a children’s story that follows Franklin Isaac (Ike) Saturday as he deals with the annoyances of completing an assignment about the historical figure, Benjamin Franklin, even as he copes with the normal pressures of junior high. His unexpected correspondence with the famous Founding Father becomes an intriguing resource, especially when he needs advice about his rocky relationship with the girl he has a crush on, Claire Wanzandae. Unfortunately, Ike’s zeal to inform the forefather of certain key events threatens to disrupt history and reminds one of the danger of too much knowledge

This irreverent children’s book gives a remarkable glimpse of the events of colonial America, contrasted with a humorous look at the angst and challenges of being a boy dealing with peer pressure, a blended family, and the blush of first romance. I love the sarcastic comments that portray Ike’s reasoning, but I think Ben Franklin’s responses will undoubtedly make the younger reader (and some of us old folks as well, lol) groan through the list of new vocabulary words that have to be looked up, although I think this is a fun way to learn about key events in history…not to mention the unusual antics kids get up to. Be forewarned, there is a risk to meddling with history (and with an adult’s treasured stamp collection), and this book ends with an exciting cliffhanger!

A copy of this title was provided to me for review, a version of which was submitted to Night Owl Reviews.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is weird, and not weird in a good way, like The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol I: The Pox Party, but weird in a way that could be interpreted as either inappropriate or alienating, depending on the parent and the reader.

Summary: Franklin Isaac Saturday writes a letter to his namesake, Benjamin Franklin, as part of an extra credit assignment for history credit. Embarassed by the personal nature of this letter, he decides to mail it instead of reading it in front of the class. Things get weird when Benjamin Franklin writes back, and the two begin a long-distance time-travel pen-palship that covers both Isaac's insecurities about girls and Benjamin Franklin's growing insecurities about the Committee of Five and his hair.

There are some not insignificant references to drinking and some of the letters could be difficult for a middle grades reader to parse, making this book middle grades in marketing only.

I'll pass this up to eighth grade, but even so, it's kind of out of nowhere. I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't like it.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book. The title was funny, so it caught my eye. In reality, the book was pretty boring. When Franklin "Ike" Saturday writes a letter to Benjamin Franklin for extra credit, he is surprised to get a letter back from the famous historical man himself! He becomes pen pals with his namesake and eventually finds out he might be able to change history. The concept of the book is a good one, the fulfillment just isn't there. I enjoyed reading Ike's story, including his struggle with popularity and impressing his crush Claire Wanzandae, but there was a huge disconnect between that story and the letters to and from Benjamin Franklin. While the authors tried to use language Ben Franklin would've used, it was very difficult to read, even for this adult reader. Many young people would just give up reading it. The ultimate disappointment was the ending, where nothing is resolved! The story is not complete, obviously leaving room for a sequel, but one that will probably never get read because this book just wasn't good.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a funny book for middle graders about a boy who accidentally starts a correspondence with the real Benjamin Franklin. Franklin Isaac Saturday ("Ike") has to write a letter to a historical figure for a school project, and he picks Benjamin Franklin, but complains to him about how he hates being named after him, along with other beefs that he's sure no one will ever read, like losing his best friend now that they're in junior high. To add to the authenticity and hopefully get extra credit, Ike puts really old stamps on the letter, in an envelope sealed with wax for full effect; as a joke he pops it into a mailbox and later receives a reply letter! It's a silly premise but it's totally cool once you get into it. Benjamin and Ike give each other advice about the issues in their lives--Ben's jealousy of Thomas Jefferson, Ike's troubles with bullies and his crush on a girl--and things escalate in both time periods; has Ike changed the course of history with his interference?It leads to a cliffhanger ending! Aaah! Very fun, has some slightly longwinded jokes, but perfectly captures the fears and insecurities of 12 year old boys, while also slipping in some historical stuff.

[Gigi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book looks like it would be for middle grade students who enjoy notebook-style books. The publisher lists the age range as ages 10-14. It is absolutely not for elementary or middle school students in my opinion. There are mentions of chugging wine coolers and making" jungle juice" from alcohol skimmed from a parent's stash mixed with that of others. The main character spends the majority of the book trying to meet a particular girl and then his main focus is how to "get to first base". The main character, according to this ARC, is called a "gaylord" for not wanting his letter read in front of the class.
The book had some potential of being an interesting and meaningful historical fiction novel, but unfortunately it took a different turn. The sections written by "Ben Franlin", while including some interesting information, contain vocabulary that is so extremely sofisticated that I fear, even advanced readers will miss the meaning. The ending is unsatisfying and leaves the reader without any closure.
I was provided with a digital ARC of this book from Netgalley.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review…

I was a little nervous before I started this book, based on previous low reviews on Goodreads, but I gave it a shot. I liked it; I thought it was funny and unique and could perhaps get some reluctant boys to read it, but I REALLY didn’t like the ending (Franklin’s last story was too long, and there was no resolution at the end). I also didn’t like that I couldn’t tell if it was a Fantasy book, or if there was going to eventually be an explanation for the mystical-ness. There are some inappropriate parts for middle-schoolers, including the title (it makes me anxious to recommend it, even if the title is “censored”).

[Ms. B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting premise, the idea of letters being able to travel through the space time continuum, thanks to a few old vintage post stamps. A school assignment turns real when junior high student Franklin Isaac Saturday (aka Ike) chooses his namesake Ben Franklin for the historical figure he wants to write to. To make his letter more "authentic", he puts it in envelope with old-time stamps. After he gets out of reading it in class, he puts it in a mailbox. That's when things start to get real interesting, real quickly. Ben writes back to Ike! Ike figures this as a prank, but chooses to write to his famous namesake a second time. Fans of inappropriate middle school humor will like this best.
This book was provided to me for free through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting little book. I liked it because it was snarky, and it seemed as if Franklin Isaac Saturday was a little too smart for the ideal audience the book is targeted towards.

But I did like it! I'm in the mood for some good ole Philadelphian and American Historical Fiction works--so this hit the spot! There isn't enough Middle Grade books that explore these things. And it seems as if the book was set up for a sequel, despite Ike's setbacks. So if I find the second one, I'd definitely pick it up!

[Sara Truog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just-ok middle grade novel about a kid who has a time-traveling pen pal relationship with Benjamin Franklin and makes some questionable choices during the process. Cool premise, but Daniel and I both did not love this. I think it had something to do with getting drunk on near beer at the playground to impress a girl. I'd hand this to fans of James Patterson's Middle School series, but there are better choices out there than this.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well it's by the guy who wrote "Go the Fuck to Sleep" and the other guy wrote for "Curb Your Enthusiasm" sooo it's not exactly fluffy rainbows but it's funny! Some parts made me question whether it was appropriate for 5th-6th graders but they probably hear much worse. What's pretty great is that the letters from Benjamin Franklin are chocked full of wonderful vocabulary that I hope industrious kids will look up and commit to memory.

[Cindy Kleback · Rating 4 out of 5]

Franklin Isaac Saturday, a/k/a Ike, writes a letter to a historical figure for extra credit, and he decides to write to Benjamin Franklin, whom he was named after. Through a comedy of errors, the letter gets mailed, and isn't Ike surprised when he gets a letter from 1776 from the Founding Father?!? Thoroughly funny novel for middle graders with characters you won't soon forget. Based on the ending, I suspect a sequel will be coming.

[Bobby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have finally finishes this amazing book about the main character Issac or Ike. Its about him moving into a middle school with new kids because there school has around like 3 elementary schools. Its also about Ike getting mysterious letters from Benjamin Franklin. And Ike writes back. I think this is a nice boo for around 12 and up because there is some weird things in the book that is not right for younger kids.

[Trever · Rating 1 out of 5]

*Received this from Netgalley for an honest review*

They said they are in middle school, yet drink "beer" or what turns out to be nonalcoholic beer and previously admits to drinking wine coolers... not appropriate at all for age level!!

Poorly written book, I wished I had never read it... waste of time.

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an intriguing premise a decent character or 2, an irritating cliffhanger that leaves it feeling half-finished, a cover that makes it seem wimpykidesque, 4th grade and up and content that brings it to upper middle school... In short fun quick read with no apparent audience...

And it's shame... Loved parts... Was really looking forward to a revolution or resolution and neither came!