The Amazing Mr. Franklin: Or the Boy Who Read Everything

A pair of biographies explore the lives of famous Americans. The Amazing Mr. Franklin: Or the Boy Who Read Everything by Ruth Ashby, illus. by Michael Montgomery, begins with Benjamin Franklin's transplant to Philadelphia at age 17. The narrative is meandering, and at times abrupt, but it covers his successes in the printing industry, the writing of his Poor Richard's Almanack and his invention of the lightning rod, among other astounding achievements. Historical notes and a list of further reading on the subject round out the volume.