How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning

by Rosalyn Schanzer

Wonderfully inventive art evokes the ebullient spirit of an American original, the great Ben Franklin. Told with narrative flair, this focuses on his famous lightning experiments. In an inventive way, Rosalyn Schanzer brings us a brilliant and ever-curious American original.  This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 6 to 8. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children. Ben Franklin was the most famous American in the entire world during colonial times. No wonder! After all, the man could do just about anything. Why, he was an author and an athlete and a patriot and a scientist and an inventor to boot. He even found a way to steal the lightning right out of the sky.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, History, Science, Nonfiction, Childrens, Historical

40 pages, Hardcover

First published December 24, 2002

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun picture book about all the cool things Ben Franklin invented.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun illustrations detailing the impact and importance of Franklin's inventions.

[Krysta · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE THIS BOOK!

I learned so much about Benjamin Franklin. Did you know he was the one that came up with the phrase 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'? Great to use in a classroom! Informative!

[Abby Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun and very interesting

[Eileen W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and informative book about Benjamin Franklin. We own it and have read it several times over the years.

[Amanda Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for children to do a report on. Great start of information for the students to research.

[Hayley]

Book Title: How Ben Franklin stole the Lightning
Author: Rosalyn Schanzer
Reading Level: 5.1
Book level: 4th-5th grade
Summary: This awesomely written and illustrated story for children is a fun twist on how Ben Franklin stole lightning leading him to inventing electricity!

Mentor Text Writing Traits:

presentation trait- This fun version of a biography tells Ben Franklins journey. It has great illustrations and keeps readers wanting to keep reading to find out what happens next.

organization trait- This story is greatly detailed and organized. It gives young readers a fun descriptive time line of How Mr. Franklin discovered lightning and stole it!

I would recommend this read for any higher level elementary grades. It would be great to use for a science unit on electricity or even a language arts or history unit on biographies.

[Bethany Duquette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:

This was a book about Benjamin Franklin and some of his inventions. It really draws on not just what he invented, but why he invented some things and how they helped, and continue to help people.

Evaluation:

I really enjoyed this book because it was interesting and colorful. There are a lot of historical elements that can be taught through it. The idea of creativity being used to help people is also a prominent theme which I like.

Teaching Idea:

This was used in one of my placements in order to help the students learn about Benjamin Franklin. The teacher also extended it to how things are different from when he lived to now. I would love for students to create their own invention that could help people today.

[Maddie Gilmer]

Summary: This book is about Ben Franklin and his life as an inventor, scientist, and athlete. One day he discovered the mystery of lightening and then figured out how to use it to benefit others.

Evaluation:
This book is a great book to use to teach students about Ben Franklin and what he did. The illustrations are cute and I think students would love to also read it.

Teaching Idea:
I would use this book to engage my student into a lesson about Ben Franklin and lightning. I would have students compare this book to a biography of Ben Franklin that would be read to the students as well.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without Ben Franklin, we wouldn't have light! This narrative was about all the inventions of Ben Franklin and his life. A fun version of a biography focused on light experiments. Reading this book about a major contributor to history can inspire young readers to be inventors, and how to over come obstacles they may face. This book can be read when learning about inventions, or for a non fiction biography. The illustration keep the readers entertained and wanting to keep flipping the pages to read more. I would defiantly incorporate this into my inventions lessons as an educator.

[Kira Riccio · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. (None)
2. Grades 1-3
3. “How Ben Franklin Stole the Lighning” is about Ben Franklin’s life as an inventor with his most famous finding being how to “steal” the lighting from the sky using a kite and a key.
4. I like this historical fiction book because it is very factual and includes a lot of information about Ben Franklin’s many inventions. He is a likeable character.
5. This book can be used when learning about inventions and historical figures in social studies.

[Misbah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading Ben and Me in elementary school and it sparked a deep admiration for Benjamin Franklin that I think anyone who has ever read about him holds.

He accomplished so many things in his lifetime and was truly one of those people who didn't give a shit about anyone else.

This book recounts many of his famous inventions and achievements, focusing on the story that led to his invention of the lightning rod.

[Susan Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utterly enchanting and lively tale of a brilliant man! I learned so many fascinating facts about Ben Franklin and the impact he made on history. The author brought such liveliness and gaiety to each page and the illustrator rendered whimsical delights for young and old alike. I will definitely be buying this book for the young scientists in my life, and I would highly recommend it to any mind fascinated with science, exploration, or grand inventions! A five-star read!!!

[Ashley Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a really good book, I like how each page talked about a new invention or idea Ben came up with. It is very simple to read however it is also very long I feel like some students may get bored or not finish the book. The illustrations are really good and creative. Its very cartoon like and simple with lots of color and just enough detail.

[Hunter Kleinow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book, I have always been interested with history and I would like my future students to have an appreciation of famous figures throughout history. With Benjamin Franklin being one of the most famous historical figures in American history, I felt that this book accurately portrayed the story of Ben Franklin and made it relatable to young readers.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The part about stealing the lightning is good, but the rest of this picture book feels unfocused and not fully fleshed out. There are too many topics included besides the lightning, and they aren't given enough attention.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine, but not as good as some of her other books. It was written on a slightly lower grade and the illustrations were okay. She included fun facts about Benjamin Franklin but did not quote anything that he said or wrote, which is what I really liked in her other books.

[Madeline West · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect book to read to kids when talking about ben Franklin: the book contains all the marvelous things that he accomplished while alive, but in an interactive way that would keep kids engaged in the book while also learning about one of the U.S famous people.

[Cleyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely an interesting story. I found the story to be very interesting and fun for being a piece of realistic fiction. I enjoyed how they turned Ben Franklin into this fun goofy character while also teaching important things he achieved over his life.

[Krystle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative book and a great classroom/homeschool resource book. This book will teach you many things you never knew about Ben Franklin and your kids or students will also enjoy this book.

[Tweller83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

52 book Challenge: A book about a famous historical figure

Good read with lots of information.

[Mickayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grade range: 2-6
Genre: Biography
This is a wonderful, interesting read! I believe this book could be for a student of any age! I found myself very interesting in reading and looking at illustrations of what Ben Franklin did. However, I do believe different ages of students will appreciate it differently.
But overall this is a wonderful informational story and one that I would love to find a way to implement into a future classroom!

[Cindy Janett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating biography about Benjamin Franklin. It tells the events of his life in kid-friendly terms and clearly connects all his accomplishments.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming picture book about how Benjamin Franklin proved that lightening was electricity.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book-I would recommend it ideally for 2-4th, but it is so well written, and has such great vocab- you could take use it in a lesson through sixth grade--if you chose!

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the illustrations, the writing style is lacking. Many of the sentences started with ‘and’. Some sentences were not complete, “And the first clock with a second hand.”

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for Battle of the Books 2018

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provides an intriguing glimpse into the life, interests and inventions of Benjamin Franklin.

[Kelley Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Franklin story for read-aloud. It has a folksy, tall-tale kind of voice that would be awesome for read aloud. Kind of long, we will see how first grade holds out.

[Shantel · Rating 4 out of 5]

battle of the books for Feb 2019