Start gifting
Libro.fm for Business
Start a membership, get two free audiobooks
Almost ready!
In order to save audiobooks to your Wish List you must be signed in to your account.
Log in Create account
Limited-time offer
Get two free audiobooks when you make the switch!
Now’s a great time to shop indie. When you start a new membership supporting local bookstores with promo code SWITCH, we’ll give you two bonus audiobook credits at sign-up.
Make the switch
Gift audiobook credit bundles
You pick the number of credits, your recipient picks the audiobooks, and your local bookstore is supported by your purchase.
Start giftingBenjamin Franklin
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
Learn moreSure, almost all kids know Benjamin Franklin as one of America’s Founding Fathers, a man with a hand in both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. And they may even have some vague idea that he once flew a kite during a lightning storm. What Kathleen Krull sets out to do in this very different biography is show Ben Franklin as the “natural philosopher” (the term for scientists back in the 1700s), whose experiments led to important discoveries about the nature of electricity—including his famous demonstration that electricity and lightning were one and the same.
As always, this much-lauded series presents a true Giant of Science in a juicily anecdotal way. This is social history at its best … who knew that Franklin became such a megastar that Paris shops sold Ben dolls, Ben ashtrays, and even Ben wallpaper?
Witty and engaging, this is a worthy addition to the Giants of Science series.
Kathleen Krull is an award-winning author of a number of highly praised nonfiction books for children, including The Boy Who Invented TV and the Lives Of series. She lives in San Diego. For more information, visit kathleenkrull.com.
Tavia Gilbert is a producer, narrator, writer, and stage and film actor. A six-time Audie nominee and multiple Earphones and Parents' Choice Award winner, she has narrated more than 350 multi-cast and single-voice audiobooks.
Reviews
“Another top-notch scientific biography in the outstanding Giants of Science series.”
“Both engaging and accessible to young audiences.”
“An illuminating, humanizing portrait…An excellent resource.”
“Krull’s forte is to connect what readers know with what they are learning.”
“Krull explains the many ways that Franklin was the American manifestation of the European Enlightenment, putting his discoveries in clear historical context.”
“A lucid and thoughtful examination of Freud’s life work and legacy.”
Expand reviews