Benjamin Franklin

Adam Mansbach

Benjamin Franklin

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

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by Adam Mansbach

Reading Level 6 11LT Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

Benjamin Franklin isn’t just a history hero—he’s stuck in a crazy mess thanks to Ike, who just traveled back in time to save the day. But with no money, no food, and a very cranky Ben, can they stop disaster and save the future? Things are about to get wild, and history might never be the same!

Themes

HistoryTime travelFriendship FamilySocial customsHumor

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction book follows Ike, a modern-day kid who travels back to 1776 to help Benjamin Franklin after a time-travel plan goes wrong. The story blends humor with historical elements and explores themes of friendship, family, and social customs like dating and stepfamilies. Suitable for ages 9-12, the book contains mild peril and playful language but remains appropriate for middle-grade readers.

Why we rated Benjamin Franklin 11LT

Benjamin Franklin is written at a Level 6 reading level across 209 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Benjamin Franklin works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate Benjamin Franklin as 11LT ("Light — Thematic") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.

Thematically, Benjamin Franklin explores history, time travel, friendship, family, and social customs — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about history, time travel, friendship.

Maybe not for

! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

11LT — Light — Thematic

Emotional

Light

Physical

Light

Social

Light

Thematic

Light ←

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

2/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

3/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level

Emotional Weight

Theme Richness

World Scope

Data Confidence

Similar Books

Based on content and theme analysis

Benjamin Franklin

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Adam Mansbach