LINCOLN
"As a young 'un, Abe Lincoln wasn't the sort of fellow you'd think would grow up to become president. Sure, he was a hard worker when he had to be. But give him a few minutes of free time, and he had his nose in a book. If he wasn't reading, he probably was delighting a willing audience with a knee-slappingly funny story. But young Abe was anything but aimless. With a few deeply held beliefs and a . . . "

JEFFERSON
"Thomas Jefferson was a man of countless talents and interests. Best known for the many ways he served his country, Jefferson was one of the founders of the United States. He wrote our nation's first and perhaps most famous document - the Declaration of Independence. He served as governor of his home state of Virginia. He traveled to France to represent the new U.S. government, and in 1800, he . . . "

WASHINGTON
"When George Washington died in 1799, General Henry Lee summed up his many achievements in just a few words. Washington, he said, was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Most people remember Washington as the nation's first president, but he was also an outstanding military leader. He led the nation to victory in the American Revolution, an . . . "

TEDDY ROOSEVELT
"Teddy! Energetic, enthusiastic, determined, childlike--these are the words people used to describe Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States. When Roosevelt took office in 1901, some people were delighted. Others were disappointed. He always spoke his mind, and he always did what he thought was right. It was hard to predict just what he would say or do."

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
“It’s hard to believe that just over a thousand words could change world history, but one document—only 1,337 words long—holds ideas more powerful than dynamite. This document’s ideas shook up the mighty British Empire. It launched a new nation. And it is still greatly admired today. What is this document? The Declaration of Independence, of course.”

CHILDREN'S BOOKS

• Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia (Landmark Books). By Margaret Cousins, Random House Books for Young Readers, 2004.
• Ben Franklin's Almanac : Being a True Account of the Good Gentleman's Life. By Candace Fleming, Atheneum/Anne Schwartz Books, 2003.
• How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning. By Rosalyn Schanzer, HarperCollins, 2003.
• In Their Own Words : Benjamin Franklin (In Their Own Words). By Peter Roop and Connie Roop, Scholastic Reference, 2001.
• B. Franklin, Printer. By David A. Adler, Holiday House, 2001.

ADULT BOOKS

• Benjamin Franklin : An American Life. By Walter Isaacson, Simon & Schuster, 2003.
• Ben Franklin's Almanac : Being a True Account of the Good Gentleman's Life. By Candace Fleming, Atheneum/Anne Schwartz Books, 2003.
• The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin. By Gordon S. Wood, Penguin Books, 2004.
• The Wit & Wisdom of Benjamin Franklin by James C. Humes, Gramercy, 2001.

WEBSITES

• Quick Biography of Benjamin Franklin:
  http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/facts/
• PBS - Benjamin Franklin:
  http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

• Benjamin Franklin Memorial in Pennsylvania:
  http://www.nps.gov/inde/ben-frank.html