How Benjamin Franklin Became a Revolutionary in Seven (Not-So-Easy) Steps

How did Ben Franklin become an outspoken leader of the American Revolution? Learn all about it in seven (not-so-easy) steps in this humorous, accessible middle-grade chapter book that focuses on Ben's political awakening.

Famous founding father Benjamin Franklin was a proud subject of the British Empire--until he wasn't. It took nearly seventy years and seven not-so-easy steps to turn Benjamin Franklin from a loyal British subject to a British traitor--and a fired-up American revolutionary.

In this light, whimsical narrative, young readers learn how Franklin came to be a rebel, beginning with his childhood lesson in street smarts when he buys a whistle at an inflated price. Franklin is a defiant boy who runs away from his apprenticeship, and while he becomes a deep thinker, a brilliant scientist, and a persuasive writer when he grows up, he never loses that spark. As a community leader who tries his best to promote peace and unity both between the colonies and with Great Britain, he becomes more and more convinced that independence for the American colonies is the way forward.

Illustrated throughout with art by noted New Yorker cartoonist and illustrator John O'Brien and sprinkled with quotations from Franklin, this unfamiliar story of a familiar figure in American history will surprise and delight young readers.

Author: Gretchen Woelfle
Publisher: Calkins Creek Books
Published: 10/17/2023
Pages: 96
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.8lbs
Size: 9.06h x 6.14w x 0.55d
ISBN: 9781635923315
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2023

About the Author
Gretchen Woelfle is the author of multiple award-winning fiction and nonfiction books for young readers. Her books include Answering the Cry for Freedom, Mumbet's Declaration of Independence, and Write On, Mercy!, both of which received the California Reading Association's Eureka! Silver Award, among many other honors.

John O'Brien has illustrated over 100 books for children. His titles include Revolutionary Rogues: John André and Benedict Arnold by Selene Castrovilla and Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock. John is also a cartoonist for many magazines and newspapers, most notably The New Yorker, New York Times, and Esquire.