It's Up to You
The PDF is an illustrated, interactive children’s biography of Benjamin Franklin titled It’s Up to You, Benjamin Franklin by Tom and Leila Hirschfeld. The book frames Franklin’s life as a series of decision points, inviting young readers to choose among historical options and see the outcomes. It blends narrative chapters with authentic excerpts from Franklin’s own writings – including his early Silence Dogood letters, Poor Richard’s Almanack maxims, selections from his autobiography, and personal correspondence such as a 1771 letter to his sister Deborah. The work also details Franklin’s prolific writing career, his many pen names, and the virtues he listed in his autobiography. Supplemental material provides extensive reading lists, website resources, museum locations, and image‑credit attributions. The authors’ note explains their collaborative research process, travel to Philadelphia, and the educational intent: to model decision‑making for children. The tone is playful, instructional, and historically grounded, with a mix of humor, moral lessons, and factual context.
Topics
Interactive Decision‑Based Narrative Structure
The book frames eleven pivotal moments in Benjamin Franklin’s life as decision points, each presented as a “Choice” with multiple options, consequences, and a challenge for the reader to decide, allowing children to explore alternative outcomes.