Reviews

Ben Franklin's in My Bathroom! by Candace Fleming, Mark Fearing

bickie's review against another edition

3.0

Nolan (10) and Olive (7) are having breakfast one morning, trying to be quiet while their mother, an author, works on a deadline upstairs in her studio, when a package for Nolan appears mysteriously on the front stoop. The package contains an old wooden box with the initials H.H., and inside is an "old-timey radio." But it's no ordinary radio; the crystal glows brighter and brighter, and all of a sudden, Ben Franklin is standing in their hallway. They have many adventures showing Ben the modern world, complicated by the self-styled private eye, Tommy Tuttle. Eventually, Ben tells Nolan about the rift between his son William and him, which clears the way for him to return home and helps Nolan decide to video-call his dad, who moved to England after the parents divorced. A sequel is set up with what appears to be Eleanor Roosevelt appearing in the closet where the time machine/radio is stowed. Includes facts and bibliography at the end. Ben's stories are told in graphic format interspersed with the regular text.

Basically, Magic Tree House for 3rd and 4th graders (a little more realistic fiction life mixed in with learning about different historical people).

in_and_out_of_the_stash's review against another edition

4.0

Why better than I was expecting. I thought it would be full of humour that young children find hilarious, but it wasn't.

kelly_lyn_yt's review against another edition

3.0

my kids loved it. they want to learn more about Benjamin Franklin. highly recommend if you have kids who don't care about history.

twainy88's review against another edition

4.0

This is a cute story. Nolan (10) & his little sister Olive accidentally bring Ben Franklin to current day. All sorts of insanity ensue when Ben gets a tour of Rolling Hills, Illinois from Olive. The book covers a brief Benjamin Franklin history lesson, divorce, accidentally stealing a fire engine, invention, sleuthing. It was funny & informative. For 7-10 year olds.

hrmason's review against another edition

4.0

Cute and full of fun facts. Can easily be a tie in to history class. Works for less mature middle school readers, too.

jenwoosley's review against another edition

3.0

I loved the idea of this book, but not the execution. It felt like someone was trying to create some 1980s style hijinks scenes so they could tell some stories about Ben Franklin's life.

skeleton_richard's review against another edition

4.0

I saw this at the library and had to see what it was about. It's been a while since I've finished a book in one sitting (last summer, to be precise) but this one was a quick read and very fun. I love it when historical fiction weaves fact into the story, which this did very well through a chaotic day out with Benjamin Franklin. I actually did learn some that I didn't know, like he was a swimmer, so that's the mark of a good book in my opinion. The time machine is really awesome, based off of a crystal radio with years as kHz, and I seriously want to learn more about how that works.

Another bonus is the book ends with a historical note written in the voice of the narrator, which expands on some of the things mentioned, and a bibliography. And some good-natured jabs at us in the historical education business.

mimela78's review against another edition

5.0

Travel back in time with History Pals series. This story combines the best elements of story telling and graphic novels depending on who is telling the story. When Ben Franklin is imparting colonial stories, the stories appear in graphic novel format. The rest of the story focuses on a responsible older brother and his impulsive younger sister and how they each respond to Benjamin Franklin showing up in their home in the 21st century. This leads to adventures both big and small with a little history thrown in to keep things exciting. The book also includes a bibliography and websites for additional research about Benjamin Franklin, founding father.