Module 11 - Now & Ben

Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin, by Gene Barrettta

Summary

This book introduces Ben Franklin's inventions and how they have stood the test of time.  It has lively cartoons that show his original invention, and why he made it, and how it is being used in our current era.  His contributions span his invention of the lightning rod to  his contributions to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Barretta, G. (2007). Now and Ben. Henry Holt and Co. (BYR).

My Impression

This is a great book to introduce Ben Franklin to younger readers. Younger readers will especially enjoy the illustrations depicting then and now.  It does not provide great details, and there are no references or sources to guide you for further information; therefore, it would not be a book to use for research.  

Reviews

Sunny cartoons juxtapose now and then in a lighthearted exploration of how Benjamin Franklin’s inventions have survived into the modern age. Although “invention” is a little broadly construed—are political cartoons and Daylight Savings Time, strictly speaking, inventions?—it’s a pretty impressive collection of achievements: The Franklin stove and lightning rods, of course, share space with bifocals, odometers and swim fins. The illustrations are genial enough, and use a lightly humorous touch to make their points (Ben offers an obviously distressed sailor a lime to stave off scurvy). A clean organization that opposes “Now” on the left (dominated by modern blues and greens) and “Ben” on the right (dominated by yellows, Ben’s blue coat standing out) aids in the presentation of the information. It’s an enthusiastic enough effort, but, in an anniversary year bound to be chock-full of Ben Franklin books, such flaws as the absence of suggestions for further reading make it no more than a marginal purchase. Rosalyn Schanzer’s How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning (2003) covers much of the same territory but does it much better. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-9)

Now & Ben: The modern inventions of benjamin franklin. (2006, February 1). Kirkus Reviews, Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gene-barretta/now-and-ben/

Suggestions for Use in Library

• Introduce inventions
• Introduce Benjamin Franklin
• A great read aloud to liven up an American history lesson
• Use as an introduction to research projects on innovators/inventors