This free verse account purportedly by Ben Franklin’s son William, called Billy, begins in 1739, when Billy is 8 years old. He helps his father in his print shop, where they, wearing leather aprons, produce “Poor Richard’s Almanack.” But Billy is bored, and would rather spend his time playing with his brother James.

Franklin engages a tutor for his sons, and the boys resist, to no avail. But when the tutor starts to read to them from “The Odyssey,” Billy becomes enthralled. The tutor promises him when they finish “The Odyssey,” they can read another book about the battle in Troy “in the Leather Apron Club Library.” This library, founded by twelve tradesmen, eventually became the first public library in America. When the Leather Apron Club meets, each meeting begins with the same questions, such as: “Do you love Mankind in general regardless of religion or profession?” [well, they didn’t mention race or gender, of course…] And “Do you love and pursue Truth for its own sake?” The members then debated politics and history and books. Billy felt as if he were in heaven.

James didn’t feel the same way about books, but Billy loved them. He declares in the text:

“They open up Worlds once closed to me,
worlds long gone, never been, or not yet.”

Billy says, “I am sad to lose James’s friendship, but I have Books now, and a longing to learn. I feel that it is time for me to ‘Do more.’ More reading, more learning, more growing, so one day I may become a real member of the Leather Apron Club.”

The book concludes with more about William Franklin, the Leather Apron Club, Benjamin Franklin and slavery, and “Poor Richard’s Almanac.

Illustrations by Wendell Minor use watercolors to convey historically accurate images of the time.

Evaluation:. This book doesn’t have content that is not all that compelling, although readers age 7 and up may relate to Billy’s conflict over dividing his time among playing, working, and reading. The author and illustrator report wanting to tell the story of the first public library, but their focus could have been more interesting. ( )

picture book history with good end notes ( )