Ben Franklin's in My Bathroom!
History meets hijinks in this first title in a hilarious new middle grade series for fans of Timmy Failure and The Terrible Two, when Ben Franklin accidentally time travels to a 10-year-old's home in 21st century America! Nolan is a typical kid living in a typical 21st century American town. Ben Franklin is, well, Ben Franklin—Founding Father, inventor of the lightning rod and bifocals, and more. When, through a bizarre set of circumstances, Nolan and his little sister, Olive, find Ben in their house, chaos isn't far behind. From introducing him to the toaster to taking him to the public library (another Ben invention) to preventing a nosy neighbor from blowing Ben's cover, Nolan does his best to be Ben's tour guide to the new world he helped form. With tons of funny illustrations throughout—plus graphic novel-style sections interspersed—readers will love adventuring alongside this awesome threesome.
The first in a new series introduces us to Ben Franklin in a fun way with easy to read chapters and adorable illustrations accompanying the well thought out story as kids are treated to how historical fiction is meant to be written.
Candace Fleming created a clever, surprisingly accurate and moving tale of what would happen if Ben Franklin turned up in modern times. Even though it might seem odd to have Ben show up, and in the way he does, somehow it doesn’t seem to matter in the overall arc of the story thanks to the enthusiasm Fleming manages to drum up in her writing.
There’s plenty of family drama and heartfelt parent/child moments that will appeal to a wide audience plus add some balance to the historical facts sprinkled throughout the plot. There is a TON of humor to make this an instant favorite for kids and parents will love the educational aspects.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Childrens for allowing me to review this book.
*synopsis and pic from netgalley.com