Benjamin Franklin from A to Z.

Gr 2–4—Although much has been written about Franklin, his numerous life accomplishments continue to provide fascinating material for study. In pages short on words and big on illustration, this volume does a good job of highlighting the important and interesting facts of his life for primary-grade children. The layout designates one page for each letter of the alphabet and the headings are well chosen-"Q is for quotations" and "X is for… gone!" (Franklin devised a phonetic alphabet without the letters c, q, w, x, and y.) The illustrations take up most of each page, and, although they are attractive, they are not always engaging. A-to-Z books can be difficult for readers since the topics aren't presented chronologically, but dates are provided in the text and there is a time line at the back of the book. The simple format and succinct text make this title a useful resource for classrooms; report writers will find good starting material and teachers can use it as an introduction.—Stephanie Farnlacher, Trace Crossings Elementary School, Hoover, AL