Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares

By Frank Murphy and Richard Walz

A funny, entertaining introduction to Ben Franklin and his many inventions, including the story of how he created the "magic square." A magic square is a box of nine numbers arranged so that any line of three numbers adds up to the same number, including on the diagonal! Teachers and kids will love finding out about this popular teaching tool that is still used in elementary schools today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: May 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9780385374613

Frank Murphy

FRANK MURPHY survived months in a German POW camp after being shot out of his B-17 Flying Fortress. His bravery earned him the Prisoner of War Medal, Purple Heart, and Air Medal. The incredible stories of Murphy and his 8th Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group are featured in the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks TV Series, Masters of the Air.

Reviews for Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares

[abrozi1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought this book was pretty good. It was well written with interesting facts about Ben Franklin's life and his inventions. After the brief synopsis of his life the book went on to tell the story of how he came up with the magic squares. It was also great, because it gave definitions to words that a reader might not know. For example, on page 20 the word clerk is brought up and because it might not be a well known word the book briefly defines it. The book also becomes interactive at the end when it tells the reader how to make their own magic square!

[matthewbloome · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A funny true story about Ben Franklin and one of his lesser known creations, the magic square. It describes many of Franklin's other great accomplishments as well during the course of the story.