Candace Fleming’s fascinating portrait of a most intriguing figure in American history is inspired by Franklin’s own Poor Richard’s Almanack. Each two-page spread, designed to look like an almanac entry, engages readers in a particular aspect of Franklin’s life. Freed from a chronological arrangement, readers can choose to dabble at will, or read from cover to cover. Either way, Franklin emerges as a complex individual of conviction and foible, a man who cared deeply for liberty, had a brilliant mind for science, and flirted and fawned (at the very least) with pretty girls. Easy-to-follow, detailed notes at the end of the volume provide the source for every item of the book’s illustrated matter, which ranges from reproductions of etchings, engraving, and woodcuts, to photographs of documents and objects, to paintings that interpret historical events. There is also an extensive bibliography and and index to round out this captivating volume. (Age 10 and older)