Candace Fleming
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Ben Franklin's Almanac
Anne Schwartz Books
Atheneum, 2003
978-0689835490
ages 9 to 12
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Ben Franklin's Almanac: 
Being a True Account of the Good Gentleman's Life 
written by Candace Fleming

“What good shall I do today?”

How Ben Franklin answered that question—through his work as a writer, printer, statesman, and inventor—forever established him as one of America's greatest figures. On one day in 1729 he published the first edition of the Pennsylvania Gazette; on another day he changed the Declaration of Independence by adding the famous words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident”; and it was all in a day's work when he planted the first willow trees in America.

Modeled on his own Poor Richard's Almanack, this unique scrapbook captures Franklin's countless accomplishments. Biography and anecdote, cartoon and etching mesh to create a fascinating portrait of this most fascinating man. Anyone interested in the birth of American democracy…or curious about the rise of the U.S. postal system…or wondering how paper money came to be…or wanting to know how Ben Franklin was part of it all, is sure to pore over Ben Franklin's Almanac.

Resources
Ben Franklin's Almanac Curriculum Guide

Awards and Honors
ALA Children's Notable Book
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Association of Booksellers for Children Fall Favorite 2003
Book Links Best Book 2003
Booklist Top ten Biography for Youth, 2003
CCBC Choices 2004
Children's Literature Choice 2004
Great Lakes' Great Books Nominee 2005
James Madison Award Honor Book
Jefferson Cup Honor Book (Virginia Library Association) 2004
Junior Library Guild Selection
Maine Student Book Award Nominee 2004-2005
NCSS-CBC Notable Social StudiesTrade Book 2004
New York Public Library Best Book for Reading and Sharing, 2003
New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Age, 2004
Parents Choice Gold Award Winner
Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2003
Riverbank Review Children's Book of Distinction 2004
School Library Journal Best Book of 2003
Washington D.C. Capitol Choices Book 2003

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