Gr 4-6–Benjamin Franklin never died. Instead, a secret organization called the Modern Order of Prometheus, of which he was a member, placed him in suspended animation in a hidden Philadelphia cellar, to serve the nation at a later time. In the 21st century, Franklin indeed awakes, but the Prometheans are nowhere to be found. Above the cellar live a young science nerd, Victor Godwin, and his mother. Franklin, trying to understand why he has been awakened, asks to rent a room in the house. Even though he does smell a little like he has spent too much time in a cave and has a greenish complexion, Victor’s mom is happy to oblige–after all, he pays the deposit in 1783 gold coins. Franklin also needs regular charges of electricity to stay alive, but when hit by lightning, he temporarily transforms into a real Franklinstein. Victor is one of the funniest nerds in children’s literature. He doesn’t take long to divine Franklin’s secret and is off on expeditions to help him find the Prometheans while trying, with the famous inventor’s help, to win top prize in the school science fair. The mock 18th-century illustrations are great fun, and readers can look forward to sequels.–Walter Minkel, Austin Public Library

Take one of the most famous inventors/statesmen in history, secretly preserve him for 200 years, reanimate him in the basement of a kid who’s planning on winning his school’s science fair, and what do you get?

A rollicking good story for middle grade readers — and anyone who loves monster tales seasoned with adventure and a little humor.

In fact, if any book was designed for GeekParents and their offspring, this is it. Benjamin Franklinstein Lives! by Matthew McElligott and Larry Tuxbury has the whole package. For one thing, it’s filled with historical trivia, tidbits of scientific fact, in-jokes and a touch of scifi silliness. For another, the design perfectly suits the material. From the old-fashioned typeface to McElligott’s illustrations, the book looks as if it rolled off the press in a Colonial-era printing shop.

The premise of Benjamin Franlinkstein Lives! is that science nerd and annoying know-it-all Victor Godwin is enlisted by the strange new tenant in his mom’s rundown Philadelphia townhouse, “Frank Benjamin,” to help solve a scientific mystery: How was Franklin re-animated, and what happened to the Custodians who were supposed to be guarding his secret through the ages?

At the same time, Victor is working feverishly to produce a science fair project that will win him the judges’ approval — based on his detailed analysis of their previous choices. He’s distracted in this quest by a hanger-on, Scott Weaver, a kid in Victor’s class who whose own approach to experimentation is altogether more spontaneous (and combustible).

Along with the plot, a lot of the book’s humor draws on the juxtaposition of present-day culture and Colonial times. McElligott has sprinkled the book with architectural drawings and exploded views of everything from Victor’s science fair volcano to a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Old-timey advertisements add atmosphere, and perhaps clues, to some of the book’s mysteries.

And taking it all to a meta-level, there’s a Benjamin Franklinstein website where you can find a hidden passage leading to challenges and puzzles for fans to solve.

Altogether, the Benjamin Franklinstein series (book two, Benjamin Franklinstein Meets the Fright Brothers, comes out later this year) is sure to spark interest in budding inventors and monster story lovers young and old. – Kathy Ceceri March 31, 2011

Nerdy Victor is literally blasted out of his compulsively regimented ways when “Frank Benjamin,” waking from 200 years of suspended animation, moves into a nearby apartment. Being a human battery with electricity-conducting bolts embedded in his neck and veins filled with “harmonic fluid,” Ben-er, Frank-has a tendency to run amok when overcharged or devolve into a zombielike state when the juice runs low-conditions that the authors exploit to hilarious effect as they send young Victor scurrying across Philadelphia after his new neighbor and mentor, discovering a secret lab buried beneath their rundown building and rebuilding his elaborate but derivative science-fair volcano into an experimental one so massively destructive that even Victor is left impressed and proud. Frequent technical diagrams and actual patent drawings add a luster of Real Science to the antics, and 18th-century veneer is provided by Poor Richard’s Almanack-style borders and display type. The balance struck between Victor’s methodical approach and Ben’s “we’ll have to trust our instincts, whack away at the problem, and hope for the best” attitude provide some food for thought, too. Expect sequels. (Sci-fantasy. 10-12)

Young science-whiz Victor has it all figured out. His erupting volcano has a 97percent chance of winning the science fair (the scale-model toga-wearing fleeing Pompeians alone are worth 13 percent). What he doesn’t figure is that in the week following him finishing and displaying it, a lightning bolt will reawaken a dormant Ben Franklin, who has been sleeping in an electrical muck–filled box hidden in a secret basement for the past couple centuries. Ben had himself put into suspended animation so that he could help humanity in the future, and that’s just what he does as long as you consider running amok after imbibing too much electricity (he functions as a walking/rampaging recharcheable battery) and destroying Victor’s volcano to be helpful.

It’s a light, funny read, and McElligott’s many diagrams, graphs, and drawings are a nice addition. Depending on kids’ tolerance for outlandish sciencey gobbledygook, this should be a welcome diversion to pass the hours between scoring science-fair ribbons and exploding their home chemistry sets. — Ian Chipman