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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was Ben Franklin?
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.
105 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2002
260 people are currently reading
1277 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Brindell Fradin
290 books23 followersThe award-winning author of nearly 300 non-fiction books for children and young adults, Dennis Fradin is known for his meticulous research, attention to detail and smooth, graceful writing.
Fradin attributes his success in part to years of teaching in the Chicago Public Schools. In order to hold his second graders’ attention at the end of the day, he would spin stories about crayons in distress and birds with broken wings. One such story caught the attention of an editor who asked him to write a series of books about the United States. The Sea to Shining Sea series (Children's Press), launched Dennis's career as a full-time author.
Dennis Fradin has written children's books on topics as varied as astronomy, colonial history, the Underground Railroad, slave escapes and scientific discoveries. He has written biographies of Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, Jane Addams and Louis Braille, among others. Bound for the North Star is his riveting collection of true slave escape stories. The Power of One: Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine, co-authored with his wife Judy, was a Golden Kite Honor Book.
Dennis has collaborated with Larry Day on two picture books, Let It Begin Here! and Duel! with Walker Books. He's completed two dozen Turning Points books for Marshall Cavendish. Along with his wife Judy, Dennis wrote Five Thousand Miles to Freedom for National Geographic Children's Books, followed by their Witness to Disaster series.
Fradin attributes his success in part to years of teaching in the Chicago Public Schools. In order to hold his second graders’ attention at the end of the day, he would spin stories about crayons in distress and birds with broken wings. One such story caught the attention of an editor who asked him to write a series of books about the United States. The Sea to Shining Sea series (Children's Press), launched Dennis's career as a full-time author.
Dennis Fradin has written children's books on topics as varied as astronomy, colonial history, the Underground Railroad, slave escapes and scientific discoveries. He has written biographies of Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, Jane Addams and Louis Braille, among others. Bound for the North Star is his riveting collection of true slave escape stories. The Power of One: Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine, co-authored with his wife Judy, was a Golden Kite Honor Book.
Dennis has collaborated with Larry Day on two picture books, Let It Begin Here! and Duel! with Walker Books. He's completed two dozen Turning Points books for Marshall Cavendish. Along with his wife Judy, Dennis wrote Five Thousand Miles to Freedom for National Geographic Children's Books, followed by their Witness to Disaster series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
April 26, 2025
Who Was...? biography series for middle grade, in this installment enthralls with the story of Ben Franklin – an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and political philosopher.
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was born in Boston. He was ten when his formal education came to an end. He had only two years of schooling but was always an avid reader.
At twelve, he became apprenticed to his brother at printing house. His brother was a bit of a tyrant. After a few years, Ben quit and left Boston for NYC, then Philadelphia, then London. There were always some challenges, but ever resourceful, he landed on his feet.
At twenty-one, back in Philadelphia, he was working at print shops and missing the lively atmosphere he enjoyed in London. Thus, he created Junto group of like-minded men who wanted to improve themselves and their community.
When he set up his own printing shop, he founded his own newspaper. He was bringing topics that were grabbing readers’ attention, and becoming a respected man in his community.
Meanwhile, he went through illness which almost claimed his life, and through a death of his son. This was a sharp reminder for him that time was not limitless, and that he wanted to make his mark, to be useful with his knowledge.
At the time, the way the homes were heated was inefficient. He came up with a new kind of wood-burning stove.
It was also a time of great mysteries in science – electricity. He avidly started experiencing with it.
He made himself useful in politics and science, beginning each day with a question, “What good shall I do this day?” And ending each day with a question, “What good have I done today?”
In 1757, Pennsylvania Assembly sent him to London as its agent to serve as colonial “ambassador” to negotiate on behalf of thirteen colonies to be treated fairly. At the same time, he continued with his scientific experiments. But it was actually the alliance he formed with France which had been vital to victory in the American Revolution.
Surrounded by family, he died at the age of eighty-four.
This biography exemplifies a man who understood the purpose of life and the limited time we have on this earth. He used his time wisely, to serve humanity.
This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 7-10, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was born in Boston. He was ten when his formal education came to an end. He had only two years of schooling but was always an avid reader.
At twelve, he became apprenticed to his brother at printing house. His brother was a bit of a tyrant. After a few years, Ben quit and left Boston for NYC, then Philadelphia, then London. There were always some challenges, but ever resourceful, he landed on his feet.
At twenty-one, back in Philadelphia, he was working at print shops and missing the lively atmosphere he enjoyed in London. Thus, he created Junto group of like-minded men who wanted to improve themselves and their community.
When he set up his own printing shop, he founded his own newspaper. He was bringing topics that were grabbing readers’ attention, and becoming a respected man in his community.
Meanwhile, he went through illness which almost claimed his life, and through a death of his son. This was a sharp reminder for him that time was not limitless, and that he wanted to make his mark, to be useful with his knowledge.
At the time, the way the homes were heated was inefficient. He came up with a new kind of wood-burning stove.
It was also a time of great mysteries in science – electricity. He avidly started experiencing with it.
He made himself useful in politics and science, beginning each day with a question, “What good shall I do this day?” And ending each day with a question, “What good have I done today?”
In 1757, Pennsylvania Assembly sent him to London as its agent to serve as colonial “ambassador” to negotiate on behalf of thirteen colonies to be treated fairly. At the same time, he continued with his scientific experiments. But it was actually the alliance he formed with France which had been vital to victory in the American Revolution.
Surrounded by family, he died at the age of eighty-four.
This biography exemplifies a man who understood the purpose of life and the limited time we have on this earth. He used his time wisely, to serve humanity.
This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 7-10, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.
August 24, 2021
What a perfect history of Ben Franklin. I learned things about him I didn't know before! These are great children's history books...
May 31, 2018
Benjamin Franklin: an excellent husband, father and grandfather; a genius scientist and inventor, statesman, writer, a man who was against slavery, an entrepreneur who printed thousands of books and founded the America's first volunteer fire department, a newspaper, a library, the first general hospital in USA and a university too and improved the post office... This children's book only tells good things about Franklin; I wonder what were his faults? Well, since I'm learning English on my own, I can only read easy books by now, but in the future I intend to read a Franklin's biography written for adults.
July 21, 2019
Excellent! We read while visiting Philadelphia, PA!
February 27, 2017
Benny the man. Benjamin Franklin was the man. I read this book to learn about him for the informational writing. READ THIS BOOK!!!
June 29, 2022
Mi primer libro en espanol desde mi juventud, pero quiero leer mas libros de este nivel de primaria. Es divertido aprender mas de una persona de historia y al mismo tiempo practicar otro idioma.
April 21, 2020
From my students;
“This book about Ben Franklin and his inventions, family, and how he began the post office, and helped to form the Unites States, was fascinating and also sad. It was fascinating because we get to learn about his creations, like lightening rods, electrical experiments, his work with his brother, his job as a printer/author. We thought is was also a sad book because he was a runaway due to the abuse of his brother, James. Benjamin Franklin also suffered the loss of his wife, was away from home for years on end, and took opposite political sides of his son, Billy.
Benjamin Franklin was a founding father who showed fairness, kindness, and humor. We enjoyed this biography.
We recommend this book for people who like inventions, like to experiment, and enjoy learning history.
“This book about Ben Franklin and his inventions, family, and how he began the post office, and helped to form the Unites States, was fascinating and also sad. It was fascinating because we get to learn about his creations, like lightening rods, electrical experiments, his work with his brother, his job as a printer/author. We thought is was also a sad book because he was a runaway due to the abuse of his brother, James. Benjamin Franklin also suffered the loss of his wife, was away from home for years on end, and took opposite political sides of his son, Billy.
Benjamin Franklin was a founding father who showed fairness, kindness, and humor. We enjoyed this biography.
We recommend this book for people who like inventions, like to experiment, and enjoy learning history.
March 22, 2025
I read this alongside Franklin's autobiography, and the combination proved incredibly helpful. While the autobiography contains significant time gaps and omits crucial details, this book provides a comprehensive timeline that fills those historical blanks beautifully.
I really enjoy the "Who Was...?" series, and this book is no exception. It does a great job explaining Franklin's scientific contributions and inventions in straightforward language and gives context about the tools they used back then.
I especially appreciated how it shows Franklin's funny side and clever writings that you don't really see in his autobiography. The book makes him feel like a real person rather than just a historical figure.
For anyone interested in Benjamin Franklin, I'd recommend starting here to gain a solid overview before exploring more extensive references. It's the perfect foundation for understanding this fascinating founding father's multifaceted life.
I really enjoy the "Who Was...?" series, and this book is no exception. It does a great job explaining Franklin's scientific contributions and inventions in straightforward language and gives context about the tools they used back then.
I especially appreciated how it shows Franklin's funny side and clever writings that you don't really see in his autobiography. The book makes him feel like a real person rather than just a historical figure.
For anyone interested in Benjamin Franklin, I'd recommend starting here to gain a solid overview before exploring more extensive references. It's the perfect foundation for understanding this fascinating founding father's multifaceted life.
September 8, 2020
Continuing to read through these with my kids. Simple, quick reads, enough information to wet the appetite and allow readers to decide who interests them and who deserves more attention. Franklin is a particular hero of mine. The book, surprisingly, doesn't completely lionize him, in terms of the toll his endeavors took on his family. Overall, consistent with the approach of other books in the series.
August 26, 2025
This is a very informative little book. It is easy to read and understand, but full of information. It had facts from his childhood through to his death. I knew Ben Franklin did the experiment with the kite and he was instrumental in the constitution, but I had no idea he did so much more. Although this book may be meant for younger audiences, I think most will learn something.
March 11, 2024
A *very* brief biography. I understand it's written at a 3.2 reading level, but can't we give children a better history? This biography puts Franklin on a pedestal he doesn't quite deserve, marking him as the savior of the US.
April 1, 2017
A great man of his time
I think the book only skimmed the surface of what could be in here. A white wash of some facts too.
I think the book only skimmed the surface of what could be in here. A white wash of some facts too.
January 21, 2020
These books are great for kids. I learned some things about Ben Franklin that I never knew and I live just outside Philadelphia so I thought I head everything.
May 14, 2018
Perfect for homeschoolers!
July 9, 2017
My favorite part of this book was the first chapter where the author explained the famous key-on-a-kite experiment in detail. I don't think I ever knew the particulars. I also didn't understand what a Leyden Jar was. There were some great diagrams that helped me make sense of it.
*Ben went to school for only two years, form age 8 to 10.
*Ben had a great sense of humor. He suggested that his father just say a prayer over the whole barrel of fish so they didn't have to take time doing it at every meal.
*His first invention was a for swimmers. He made four paddles that made it easier to swim.
*Initially he wanted to be a sailor. His dad wanted him to stay and take over the family business of candle making. Ben hated it.
*Ben went to work for his brother James as a printer's apprentice. He loved it, but his brother was kind of harsh and not that much fun to work with. Ben was a good writer and even published some articles anonymously in his brother's paper. His bro was not amused, though the rest of the city loved the articles.
*Besides swimming and walking, he lifted dumbbells into his eighties.
*During the revolution Ben's son, Billy, sided with England. After the war he moved to England. It was devastating for Ben. After the war when Billy tried to reconcile, Ben wouldn't go for it.
I've been reading a lot of books recently about the Founding Fathers (adult and children's books). There's a lot of similarities between them. They all were brilliant. They were scientists, scholars and very well-read. They were all hard workers and they all made enemies. It's been to read about them all in context with each other.
I bought a bunch of these "Who was...." books to use for our wax museum projects and I wanted to read them first so I could help the kiddos. That's why you'll be seeing a lot of them come through my feed. :) They are great books for getting a well thought-out snap shot of many different people. Each book only takes me about 20-30 min to read.
*Ben went to school for only two years, form age 8 to 10.
*Ben had a great sense of humor. He suggested that his father just say a prayer over the whole barrel of fish so they didn't have to take time doing it at every meal.
*His first invention was a for swimmers. He made four paddles that made it easier to swim.
*Initially he wanted to be a sailor. His dad wanted him to stay and take over the family business of candle making. Ben hated it.
*Ben went to work for his brother James as a printer's apprentice. He loved it, but his brother was kind of harsh and not that much fun to work with. Ben was a good writer and even published some articles anonymously in his brother's paper. His bro was not amused, though the rest of the city loved the articles.
*Besides swimming and walking, he lifted dumbbells into his eighties.
*During the revolution Ben's son, Billy, sided with England. After the war he moved to England. It was devastating for Ben. After the war when Billy tried to reconcile, Ben wouldn't go for it.
I've been reading a lot of books recently about the Founding Fathers (adult and children's books). There's a lot of similarities between them. They all were brilliant. They were scientists, scholars and very well-read. They were all hard workers and they all made enemies. It's been to read about them all in context with each other.
I bought a bunch of these "Who was...." books to use for our wax museum projects and I wanted to read them first so I could help the kiddos. That's why you'll be seeing a lot of them come through my feed. :) They are great books for getting a well thought-out snap shot of many different people. Each book only takes me about 20-30 min to read.
February 27, 2022
It was a good book because it told the life of Ben Franklin and why he was one of the most famous founding fathers of America.
July 10, 2017
Informational.
September 29, 2017
Great short bio.
December 4, 2017
It was a very intresting book and I would reccomend it to people who enjoy creating things.
January 11, 2018
How this man found the time to accomplish and be involved in so much I'll never know. A fitting biography of a founding father. elementary
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December 7, 2023Opening hook.
This book is about a famous inventor who helped start the American Revolution and created the French alliance. Who was Ben Franklin by Dennis Brindell Fradin.
Major ideas.
Ben was born January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts. When Ben was born, there was no United States. North America was split into 13 colonies: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia. Ben had 17 siblings but four of them died young, but that was common back in the times of the American Revolution. His father wanted him to become a minister but he had two signs of the devil. He was left-handed and he was born on a
Sunday. He would get punished whenever Ben was caught using his left hand as his dominant hand. At the age of 12
Ben became an apprentice for his brother, James. One day ben had an idea and proposed it to James. His idea was that he would get half of the money that he was giving to the family that he lived with and whatever money he didn’t spend on food out housing he could keep. James agreed to these terms so Ben moved out of the house he was living in and bought a small apartment. One day around april fools day in 1722 Ben started to write a newspaper under the name of Silence Dogood and James was mad at this Silence Dogood person. In the fall of 1722 Ben said to James that he is Silence Dogood.
Impact on my life.
This book did not change how I feel because it just doesn’t.
I don’t think that this book will impact the way I act or think but maybe for others it will.
Impact on the world.
I think this book has impacted the world because it is a book about the person who helped free the United States from Britan.
How I will think and act differently.
I don’t think I will think or act differently because this book did not impact me.
Impact others and the world.
I think this book has impacted others and the world because it is a book about Ben Fraklin
Conclusion.
I would recommend this book to any one in the school that can read and wants to read this book.
December 8, 2016
Who Was Ben Franklin By Dennis Brindell Fradin was a really good book that I really enjoyed. I remembered a lot of things that I learned from him when I was in elementary school for example I remembered that he went outside with his son and there he discovered lightning. The book was bout how he was one of the founding fathers and was also and inventor who created a bifocal glasses, they are glasses that help people see far away and are also combined with reading glasses, so technically they are normal glasses with a line sort of in the middle and the top side is the part that helps people see far away and the bottom part helps people read. He also invented an musical instrument which is called the "Glass Harmonica" and how this worked was that a person held held their finger against the wet spinning bowls, and it made music. This instrument that BenFranklin invented soon played in concerts in Europe and America for about forty years. His other invention was that he made an artificial "arm" and was for taking books from hard shelves and this device later was used for taking items off shelves in grocery stores.
I really liked this book because I already knew a little bit about him from my elementary school. I also liked this book because I really like flying kites because I remember that every Easter, when I was little my dad and I would fly a kite. Now I have two sisters and we do the same thing just that we take turns.
I recommend this book to people who like about history and also people that like flying kites. I would also like to recommend this book to everyone because in my opinion they are really good books to read and it doesn't really matter how old people are. Also I would recommend this book to people who just like reading for fun and to adults who like to read to their children.
I really liked this book because I already knew a little bit about him from my elementary school. I also liked this book because I really like flying kites because I remember that every Easter, when I was little my dad and I would fly a kite. Now I have two sisters and we do the same thing just that we take turns.
I recommend this book to people who like about history and also people that like flying kites. I would also like to recommend this book to everyone because in my opinion they are really good books to read and it doesn't really matter how old people are. Also I would recommend this book to people who just like reading for fun and to adults who like to read to their children.
February 6, 2018
For my February book, I chose "Who Was Ben Franklin?" by Dennis Brindell Franklin. The book talks about Benjamin Franklin's life from start to finish and how he runs from home and becomes a great U.S. representative. Ben starts out as a mysterious newspaper writer and proceeds to make his way up to the famous U.S. senate representative. But Ben didn't want to be a representative, he wanted to be a scientist, and he did. Ben created many inventions when he had free time.
I loved how Dennis include an entire timeline of Franklin's life and she/he never missed an important part of his interesting life. I disliked how she/he included so many illustrations and it just took up to much space and if there weren't any illustrations and filled that space with more information about Ben Franklin's life. I would try to also include more information about his family members and family tree because there wasn't much information on his family and what had happened to his family members.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that loves either history or is just curious about Ben Franklin. Those people would definitely love and enjoy this amazing book.
I loved how Dennis include an entire timeline of Franklin's life and she/he never missed an important part of his interesting life. I disliked how she/he included so many illustrations and it just took up to much space and if there weren't any illustrations and filled that space with more information about Ben Franklin's life. I would try to also include more information about his family members and family tree because there wasn't much information on his family and what had happened to his family members.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that loves either history or is just curious about Ben Franklin. Those people would definitely love and enjoy this amazing book.
November 1, 2022
I read this book while I was in Boston, Mass. attending a conference there. I didn't realize Ben Franklin was actually born in Boston and had to move to Pennsylvania. So wanting to know more about one of the founding fathers or our nation I decided I needed a quick and easy book to read while taking breaks during the conference.
This is great for kids to reads but also helpful for adults who want to get some background information about the subject matter to decide if they want to delve into a deeper analysis.
Ben is an impressive person, an inventor, a scientist, writer, politician, diplomat, entrepreneur and more who contributed much to this nation and the world.
While the book tends to emphasize the positive we do get a glimpse at some of the tragedies and shortcomings in his life; the fact that he had to run away from home where he was beaten and abused; his alienation from his son because of political differences, his illness and the loss of his wife.
This is an enjoyable quick biography which opens the door on the character of Ben Franklin and perhaps urges you to read on further to more in-depth biographies.
This is great for kids to reads but also helpful for adults who want to get some background information about the subject matter to decide if they want to delve into a deeper analysis.
Ben is an impressive person, an inventor, a scientist, writer, politician, diplomat, entrepreneur and more who contributed much to this nation and the world.
While the book tends to emphasize the positive we do get a glimpse at some of the tragedies and shortcomings in his life; the fact that he had to run away from home where he was beaten and abused; his alienation from his son because of political differences, his illness and the loss of his wife.
This is an enjoyable quick biography which opens the door on the character of Ben Franklin and perhaps urges you to read on further to more in-depth biographies.
who-hq
May 7, 2020Born on Milk Street, Boston. Later moved to Philadelphia. Worked as a printer, including a stint in London. Then turned his attention to inventions. Invented lightning rod, bifocals and other things. Created first library system. Reformed the postal service. In pre-Revolutionary War years and during the war, spent majority of his time in Europe, advocating for American cause in England and securing French alliance. His son was governor of New Jersey and sided with England. Delegate at Continental Congress where he had hand in drafting Declaration of Independence.
He is the only Founding Father who is a signatory of all four of the major documents of the founding of the United States: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris and the United States Constitution.
He is the only Founding Father who is a signatory of all four of the major documents of the founding of the United States: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris and the United States Constitution.
August 14, 2020
This is a biography about the life of Benjamin Franklin. It goes over his early life, inventions, career, and late life. Biographies are probably my least favorite genre of books, however, this book was actually pretty interesting as it described his accomplishments and goals. It also talks a lot about his life and not just what made him so successful. The book is very accurate and great for young readers. As for the illustrations, they are also very engaging. The cartoon style will be enjoyed by many young students and keep them turning the page. The illustrations remind me of political cartoons. As a teacher I would use this book to teach history to almost any grade in elementary school. This is a short book that could be used along with Benjamin Franklin's auto biography to teach students about his life.
May 5, 2019
In terms of the "Who Was" series' quality, this biography was disappointing.
The chapter, "Who Was Ben Franklin" should have been omitted and the text from Chapter 1 used in it's place.
The biography does not follow chronological order, which is confusing for an adult & (I imagine) thoroughly frustrating for a child. The author bounces back and forth between Franklin's accomplishments to the point where the magnitude of said accomplishments are diminished. There is also a lot of just glazing-the-subject-surface with many major events (usually an informative sidebar) reduced to 1-2 sentences.
Finally, the included illustrations are childish and amateur compared to other books from this series.
The chapter, "Who Was Ben Franklin" should have been omitted and the text from Chapter 1 used in it's place.
The biography does not follow chronological order, which is confusing for an adult & (I imagine) thoroughly frustrating for a child. The author bounces back and forth between Franklin's accomplishments to the point where the magnitude of said accomplishments are diminished. There is also a lot of just glazing-the-subject-surface with many major events (usually an informative sidebar) reduced to 1-2 sentences.
Finally, the included illustrations are childish and amateur compared to other books from this series.
March 11, 2021
3.5 stars
This biography for young readers deals with one of the most famous Americans in its early history. The book does a nice job of outlining his many accomplishments. The author relays an interesting story of Ben and his son discovering that there is electricity in lightening. The text follows Franklin through his inventions, his apprenticeship as a printmaker, his ever popular Poor Richard's Almanac, and his political influences in the Revolutionary War and the forming of the Constitution. I liked the story of Ben's early literary career as Silence Do-gooder - story I had never heard before.
This biography for young readers deals with one of the most famous Americans in its early history. The book does a nice job of outlining his many accomplishments. The author relays an interesting story of Ben and his son discovering that there is electricity in lightening. The text follows Franklin through his inventions, his apprenticeship as a printmaker, his ever popular Poor Richard's Almanac, and his political influences in the Revolutionary War and the forming of the Constitution. I liked the story of Ben's early literary career as Silence Do-gooder - story I had never heard before.
March 4, 2022
Who Was Ben Franklin?, by Dennis Brindell Fradin, says that even if you have had sad times, you can still live an accomplished life. Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706 at Boston, Massachusetts, died in 1790, and had a miserable childhood. When Benjamin was still a teenager, he was an apprentice at his brother’s printing shop. His brother, however, was cruel to him, and he didn’t like his work. However, he moved to Pennslyvania and started a new life. He became a founding father of the U.S.A, and one of the best American inventors of all time. I recommend this biography for boys and girls, grades third to fifth.
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November 4, 2020This book is about a man who had many talents. Ben Franklin was a statesman. He did to free the U.S from England. He was a scientist. Ben Franklin discovered the nature of lightning. He also was an inventor Thanks to him we have lightning and bifocal glasses. He was an author. He wrote a famous book about his experiments. He helped to create the U.S Postal Service. Ben did so much good things that people said: he has magical powers. Ben Franklin was born in January, 17 1706. He died on April 17 1790, at the age of eighty four. This book is very interesting and it's about Ben Franklin's life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews