Victor Godwin is a science geek, but he has an otherwise normal life in his quiet Philadelphia neighborhood until Benjamin Franklin suddenly wakes up in his basement. As a member of the Order of the Modern Prometheus, Franklin entered suspended animation so he could wake up when he was needed the most. “Benjamin Franklinstein Lives” describes their initial adventure during a disastrous school science fair.

In “Benjamin Franklinstein Meets the Fright Brothers,” the Founding Father is adjusting to life in the twenty-first century when giant bats take to the evening skies over the City of Brotherly Love. The creepy new owners of the local bicycle shop are sneaking around. And, Ben is getting strange signals over his communicator. Victor, Ben, and their friend Scott race to figure out the conspiracy.

Grade schoolers will love the gag-filled, madcap adventure, while teachers and parents will appreciate its pun-filled allusions to history and literature. Along the way, Victor and Scott learn about the Wright Brothers, how lightning works, secret codes, invisible ink, and vampire identification, all with instructive diagrams and illustrations. Kids will have lots of fun assembling the clues—and learn a few things too. North Jersey.com 12/7/11