Ben and Me

Robert Lawon's Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amosis a fictionalized biography of Ben Franklin. Lawson uses a unique narrator to write the story of Franklin's life. Instead of the traditional non-fiction biography, Lawson has a mouse write the story.

The introduction to this book has always amused me. Lawson begins the introduction by telling readers that the tale they are about to read was found in a mouse home and established as authentic by experts. The author, Amos Mouse contends that he, not Ben Franklin, was responsible for Franklin's success. The story begins with Amos teaching Ben Franklin how to make the Franklin stove to keep him from freezing to death.

As the story moves to Ben's role in the Revolution, Amos tells how he helped Ben achieve his success. Readers will be interested to discover that Thomas Jefferson also had a mouse accompany him to the Continental Congress to help him write the Declaration of Independence. Amos even takes credit for Ben choosing to go to France to get help for the colonists.

Amos gives a preview of the upcoming French Revolution as he organizes various factions in an uprising against the Versailles Palace mice to rescue a mouse friend's seven children.

The humor in the story has continued to draw children to this story. It is a great chance for parents and teachers to help students to make connections to the factual Ben Franklin.

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