Benjamin Franklinstein LIVES!

Fri, 05/20/2011 - 6:55pm by annevm

Wherein is contained an Accounting of the Preparation, suspension, and eventual Reawakening of the Subject in Modern Day, and his Quest to discover the Great Emergency by Matthew McElligott and Larry Tuxbury

Meet Victor Godwin, a young scientific nerd who says things like “That’s not what the science fair is about. You’re just messing around… A potato battery is a stupid project. It won’t win, Scott …”

Victor wants to win the science fair, so it’s a mixed blessing when Benjamin Franklin, preserved in suspended animation in a secret laboratory in Victor’s basement, accidentally wakes up and needs help navigating 21st century Philadelphia. Ben smells like a cave and burps sparks. Together Ben and Victor keep Ben charged up—but not too charged up—while searching for the Prometheans whom Ben believes may face an emergency. When Ben and Victor show up at the science fair, the results are unanticipated and very funny.

There are many things to like about Benjamin Franklinstein LIVES, including the warmth and scientific adventurism between Victor and Ben; all the lighthearted humor; and the clever, mock-18th century, black-and-white illustrations. Written for grades 4-6, the novel just might spark interest in the special traveling exhibit at the Downtown Library, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World, on display through July 8.