The Cardboard Box Children
Meet Benjamin Franklin
by
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When they reach a large brick building, Kylie notices that it is a school. “Is this your school?” asks Kylie, pointing to the Boston Latin School. Benjamin stops in front of the school. “It was.” He stares wistfully at the stone and brick entrance. “Seest thou a man diligent in his calling, he shall stand before kings.” Kylie presses Benjamin, “What does that mean?” “It means that I do not need a school to learn properly if I simply apply myself.” “What is a king?” asks Lindy, jumping on one leg. Benjamin leans towards Lindy, connspiratorily dropping his voice. Lindy, enthralled that she might be learning a secret, opens her spirit blue eyes wide. “A king is a leader of men,” answers Benjamin.
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About the Book
A young family prepares for a massive hurricane ripping through the Gulf of Mexico. When the storm crashes ashore, a massive lightning strike hurtles three young girls into the past, where they encounter young master Benjamin Franklin struggling with his adolescence and station in life. The story provides a charming glimpse into the life for America’s early colonists and into the mind of one of her early heroes, against the backdrop of a very young Boston. The book details the power of the human spirit, love of family, strength of character, and immeasurable importance of the American spirit.
About the Author
Benjamin Franklin personifies the American ideal. He was an inventor, a publisher, an author, an entrepreneur, a scientist, and a philosopher. And most importantly, he was a self-made man. Having brilliant and independent pre-teens in the house, I was inspired to imagine what a teenage Benjamin Franklin must have been like. Thus the Cardboard Box Children series was born. Drawing on research into Benjamin Franklin’s life, I introduced teenage Ben to my kids in the same historical context. From there, the story naturally and organically grew. This is meant to be a fun, inspiring summer read, perfect for a few hours on the beach or during a short flight. For those familiar with Benjamin’s life and colonial Boston, the story is riddled with historical references and foreshadowing of things to come in the great philosopher’s life. Most of the story was written during travels between Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, during an expat assignment, to fill the void of missing my family and to try to capture the emerging personalities of my wonderful children.