Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin

Author & Illustrator:  Robert Byrd
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication Year:  2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:  Sibert honor, Horn Book Best Nonfiction, Kirkus Best Book,

Summary: A biography of the founding father Benjamin Franklin with a great deal of text, obviously intended for older readers. In the four columns per spread, the story of Franklin's life and accomplishments is told in details. The writer tries to capture Franklin's personality and character through the anecdotes and events from his life. The layout of the book is referential of early newspapers  of the Revolutionary time with inset quotations from Franklin's writings and full-color captioned sketches. There are so many places here for young readers to stop and stare and study the details.

Classroom Ideas: Class study of the American Revolution, founding fathers, and Franklin.

Extras:The endpapers contain many of Franklin's famous sayings, an author's note with information about how Byrd chose the stories in the book and how he would create the pictures, a comprehensive timeline, and a bibliography

Abe Lincoln's Dream

Author & Illustrator:   Lane Smith
Publisher:  Roaring Brook Press
Publication Year:   2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee

Awards:   featured on "Calling Caldecott" blog, Horn Book & School Library Journal starred reviews,

Summary:  Presidental scholars will immediately recognize the inclusion of Roosevelt, Johnson, and Reagan's dogs as they begin this story of a girl who goes on a White House tour and encounters Abraham Lincoln's ghost. The book deftly moves between silly jokes and serious questions as they discuss the issues ("Our union was so fragile, so uncertain. Like that ship on the rocky sea.") of union and equality that so plagued President Lincoln. The girl Quincy reassures Lincoln of the progress that has been made since his time. The Afterward explains Abraham Lincoln's reoccurring dream of himself in a ship moving toward a distant shore and also introduces the president dogs that are in the story. Lane use of a muted palette here fits the "historical" feel of the story and the typography looks like those used in newspapers of Lincoln's time. There are many pictorial references to history in the illustrations as well.

Classroom Ideas: Along with the obvious history curriculum connection, there are several uses of simile here. I wouldn't use this one to introduce Lincoln as you have to have some understanding of the issues he faced to get the story, but rather to enhance a study of his presidency.

John, Paul, George, and Ben

Author & Illustrator:   Lane Smith
Publisher:  Hyperion
Publication Year:   2006
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   Horn Book Fanfare Award, School Library Journal Best Books,  NYT Best Illustrated Book of the Year,  Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year,  Parenting Magazine Best Book of the Year, NYT Notable Book, 

Summary:  Despite sounding like a Beatles book, this book is about four (or five) of the founding fathers. Smith chooses adjectives for each one of them: John Hancock was bold; Paul Revere was noisy; George Washington was honest; Ben Franklin was clever; Thomas Jefferson was independent. These traits lead to the accomplishments of the founding fathers, ending with a hilarious "ye olde True or False" section. As always, Smith's illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to the text.

Classroom Ideas: This would be a great book for fourth grade to link Writing, Grammar, and Social Studies. It could be used to talk about adjectives, character traits, and US history.