What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?

Book excerpt: A fun historic tale by Newbery Honor-winning author, Jean Fritz! No matter how busy he was, Ben Franklin always found time to try out new ideas: a remote-control lock (so he could lock his door without getting out of bed), a rocking chair with a fan over it (to keep flies away), and a windmill (to turn his roast meat on its spit). Aside from being a mad of ideas, he was an ambassador to England, a printer, an almanac maker, a politician, and even a vegetarian (for a time, anyway). "This biography is distinguished by its humanizing detail [and] amusing tone." - School Library Journal