{"id":6567321698383,"title":"The Leather Apron Club","handle":"the-leather-apron-club","description":"\u003ch6\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: large;\" size=\"4\"\u003eThe Leather Apron Club\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\" size=\"3\"\u003eBenjamin Franklin, His Son Billy, and America's First Circulating Library\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/jane-yolen\"\u003eJane Yolen\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/wendell-minor\"\u003eWendell Minor\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWelcome to the USA's first lending library, where it's love at first page!\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen Billy's father Benjamin Franklin announces that Billy and his lazy cousin James will soon have a tutor, Billy is . . . not thrilled. His tutor is up to the challenge. Billy \u003cem\u003eis\u003c\/em\u003e thrilled to discover that books are full of adventure and that stories can change the world. When Billy accompanies his father to the Leather Apron Club, he's inspired to do more with his education and his life. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCo-founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1727, not only was the Club the first successful lending library in the United States—it also exists to this day as the Library Company of Philadelphia! Careful readers will notice that the story cleverly incorporates famous sayings from Ben Franklin's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003ePoor Richard's Almanack\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, emphasizing the lasting impact of words.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/eat-your-us-history-homework\"\u003eEat Your US History Homework\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/plymouth-rocks\"\u003ePlymouth Rocks!\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/leather-apron-club-spread.jpg?v=1620064974\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" class=\"cvr-border-gray\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/leather-apron-club-cover.jpg?v=1620064974\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"product-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/leather-apron-club-cover-hires.jpg.zip?v=1620064974\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJane Yolen, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eane Yolen is the award-winning author of over three hundred children's books including \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLast Laughs: Prehistoric Epitaphs\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLast Laughs: Animal Epitaphs; Bad Girls\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e (with Heidi E. Y. Stemple); \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOwl Moon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, a Caldecott Medal Winner; the How Do Dinosaurs . . . ? series, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSea Queens\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePlymouth Rock\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e. She has been called the Hans Christian Andersen of the Americas. Jane lives in Western Massachusetts and Scotland.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/jane-yolen\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Jane.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWendell Minor, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWendell Minor has designed more than two thousand book covers and written and\/or illustrated more than fifty children's books, including many in collaboration with Jean Craighead George. Recent titles include \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eNight Train, Night Train\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTrapped!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eHow Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e; and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eIf You Were a Panda Bear\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/wendell-minor\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Wendell. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComing soon!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInspired by the life of William “Billy” Franklin, son of Benjamin Franklin, this first-person account conveyed in lengthy free verse opens in Philadelphia, 1739, when rowdy Billy is eight years old; eventually, a new tutor inspires a love of reading, and the elder Franklin allows the younger to bear witness to a meeting of the Leather Apron Club, 12 friends who meet “weekly to discuss issues of morality, philosophy, and politics,” as well as read at the Club’s library, “the first free lending library in the United States,” per an author’s note. Interspersing quotes from Poor Richard’s Almanack, Yolen makes Billy’s emotions relatable to young audiences: “Pappy... has written the best-known Book\/ in all of Philadelphia,\/ printed on his own Press—\/Poor Richard’s Almanack.\/ It is full of sayings to make people wise,\/ though if you ask me, I think it is a little boring.” Muted watercolors by Minor offer sketch-like, realistic white figures in this historical fiction, which may appeal more to adults. Front matter includes a note about capitalizations; back matter includes more historical context and information, as well as an author’s note.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHardcover\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e978-1-58089-719-8\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e978-1-60734-935-8\u003c\/span\u003e EPUB\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 7-10\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e9 x 11\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2021-05-13T12:39:17-04:00","created_at":"2021-05-13T12:28:06-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 6-10","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Nonfiction","Browse by Format_Picture Book","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_History \u0026 Biography","Browse by Subject_Poetry \u0026 Language"],"price":1799,"price_min":1799,"price_max":1799,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":39366763446351,"title":"Hardcover","option1":"Hardcover","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"97198","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"The Leather Apron Club - Hardcover","public_title":"Hardcover","options":["Hardcover"],"price":1799,"weight":369,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":10,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"9781580897198","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/leather-apron-club-cover.jpg?v=1620923727"],"featured_image":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/leather-apron-club-cover.jpg?v=1620923727","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":20541939974223,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.773,"height":776,"width":600,"src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/leather-apron-club-cover.jpg?v=1620923727"},"aspect_ratio":0.773,"height":776,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/leather-apron-club-cover.jpg?v=1620923727","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003ch6\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: large;\" size=\"4\"\u003eThe Leather Apron Club\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\" size=\"3\"\u003eBenjamin Franklin, His Son Billy, and America's First Circulating Library\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/jane-yolen\"\u003eJane Yolen\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/wendell-minor\"\u003eWendell Minor\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWelcome to the USA's first lending library, where it's love at first page!\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen Billy's father Benjamin Franklin announces that Billy and his lazy cousin James will soon have a tutor, Billy is . . . not thrilled. His tutor is up to the challenge. Billy \u003cem\u003eis\u003c\/em\u003e thrilled to discover that books are full of adventure and that stories can change the world. When Billy accompanies his father to the Leather Apron Club, he's inspired to do more with his education and his life. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCo-founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1727, not only was the Club the first successful lending library in the United States—it also exists to this day as the Library Company of Philadelphia! Careful readers will notice that the story cleverly incorporates famous sayings from Ben Franklin's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003ePoor Richard's Almanack\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, emphasizing the lasting impact of words.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/eat-your-us-history-homework\"\u003eEat Your US History Homework\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/plymouth-rocks\"\u003ePlymouth Rocks!\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/leather-apron-club-spread.jpg?v=1620064974\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" class=\"cvr-border-gray\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/leather-apron-club-cover.jpg?v=1620064974\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"product-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/leather-apron-club-cover-hires.jpg.zip?v=1620064974\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJane Yolen, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJ\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eane Yolen is the award-winning author of over three hundred children's books including \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLast Laughs: Prehistoric Epitaphs\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLast Laughs: Animal Epitaphs; Bad Girls\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e (with Heidi E. Y. Stemple); \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOwl Moon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, a Caldecott Medal Winner; the How Do Dinosaurs . . . ? series, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSea Queens\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePlymouth Rock\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e. She has been called the Hans Christian Andersen of the Americas. Jane lives in Western Massachusetts and Scotland.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/jane-yolen\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Jane.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWendell Minor, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWendell Minor has designed more than two thousand book covers and written and\/or illustrated more than fifty children's books, including many in collaboration with Jean Craighead George. Recent titles include \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eNight Train, Night Train\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTrapped!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eHow Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e; and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eIf You Were a Panda Bear\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/wendell-minor\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Wendell. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComing soon!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInspired by the life of William “Billy” Franklin, son of Benjamin Franklin, this first-person account conveyed in lengthy free verse opens in Philadelphia, 1739, when rowdy Billy is eight years old; eventually, a new tutor inspires a love of reading, and the elder Franklin allows the younger to bear witness to a meeting of the Leather Apron Club, 12 friends who meet “weekly to discuss issues of morality, philosophy, and politics,” as well as read at the Club’s library, “the first free lending library in the United States,” per an author’s note. Interspersing quotes from Poor Richard’s Almanack, Yolen makes Billy’s emotions relatable to young audiences: “Pappy... has written the best-known Book\/ in all of Philadelphia,\/ printed on his own Press—\/Poor Richard’s Almanack.\/ It is full of sayings to make people wise,\/ though if you ask me, I think it is a little boring.” Muted watercolors by Minor offer sketch-like, realistic white figures in this historical fiction, which may appeal more to adults. Front matter includes a note about capitalizations; back matter includes more historical context and information, as well as an author’s note.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHardcover\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e978-1-58089-719-8\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e978-1-60734-935-8\u003c\/span\u003e EPUB\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 7-10\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e9 x 11\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}

The Leather Apron Club


The Leather Apron Club
Benjamin Franklin, His Son Billy, and America's First Circulating Library

By: Jane Yolen / Illustrated by: Wendell Minor

Welcome to the USA's first lending library, where it's love at first page!

When Billy's father Benjamin Franklin announces that Billy and his lazy cousin James will soon have a tutor, Billy is . . . not thrilled. His tutor is up to the challenge. Billy is thrilled to discover that books are full of adventure and that stories can change the world. When Billy accompanies his father to the Leather Apron Club, he's inspired to do more with his education and his life.

Co-founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1727, not only was the Club the first successful lending library in the United States—it also exists to this day as the Library Company of Philadelphia! Careful readers will notice that the story cleverly incorporates famous sayings from Ben Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack, emphasizing the lasting impact of words.

Maximum quantity available reached.

Jane Yolen, author

Jane Yolen is the award-winning author of over three hundred children's books including Last Laughs: Prehistoric Epitaphs and Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs; Bad Girls (with Heidi E. Y. Stemple); Owl Moon, a Caldecott Medal Winner; the How Do Dinosaurs . . . ? series, Sea Queens, and Plymouth Rock. She has been called the Hans Christian Andersen of the Americas. Jane lives in Western Massachusetts and Scotland.

Read more about Jane.


Wendell Minor, illustrator

Wendell Minor has designed more than two thousand book covers and written and/or illustrated more than fifty children's books, including many in collaboration with Jean Craighead George. Recent titles include Night Train, Night Train; Trapped!; How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow?; and If You Were a Panda Bear.

Read more about Wendell. 

  • Coming soon!

Publishers Weekly

Inspired by the life of William “Billy” Franklin, son of Benjamin Franklin, this first-person account conveyed in lengthy free verse opens in Philadelphia, 1739, when rowdy Billy is eight years old; eventually, a new tutor inspires a love of reading, and the elder Franklin allows the younger to bear witness to a meeting of the Leather Apron Club, 12 friends who meet “weekly to discuss issues of morality, philosophy, and politics,” as well as read at the Club’s library, “the first free lending library in the United States,” per an author’s note. Interspersing quotes from Poor Richard’s Almanack, Yolen makes Billy’s emotions relatable to young audiences: “Pappy... has written the best-known Book/ in all of Philadelphia,/ printed on his own Press—/Poor Richard’s Almanack./ It is full of sayings to make people wise,/ though if you ask me, I think it is a little boring.” Muted watercolors by Minor offer sketch-like, realistic white figures in this historical fiction, which may appeal more to adults. Front matter includes a note about capitalizations; back matter includes more historical context and information, as well as an author’s note.

Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-58089-719-8

E-book
ISBN: 978-1-60734-935-8 EPUB

Ages: 7-10
Page count: 32
9 x 11