About this item
Discover how Benjamin Franklin's scientific method challenged a certain Dr. Mesmer's mysterious powers in a whimsical look at a true moment in history.The day Ben Franklin first set foot in Paris, France, he found the city all abuzz. Everyone was talking about something new - remarkable, thrilling, and strange. Something called . . . Science!But soon the straightforward American inventor Benjamin Franklin is upstaged by a compelling and enigmatic figure: Dr. Mesmer. In elaborately staged shows, Mesmer, wearing a fancy coat of purple silk and carrying an iron wand, convinces the people of Paris that he controls a magic force that can make water taste like a hundred different things, cure illness, and control thoughts! But Ben Franklin is not convinced. Will his practical approach of observing, hypothesizing, and testing get to the bottom of the mysterious Mesmer's tricks? A rip-roaring, lavishly illustrated peek into a fascinating moment in history shows the development and practice of the scientific method - and reveals the amazing power of the human mind.
About the Author
Mara Rockliff is the author of many lively historical books for children, including MESMERIZED: HOW BEN FRANKLIN SOLVED A MYSTERY THAT BAFFLED ALL OF FRANCE, winner of the Cook Prize and an Orbis Pictus Honor book. Other well-known titles include GINGERBREAD FOR LIBERTY, AROUND AMERICA TO WIN THE VOTE, and TRY IT! HOW FRIEDA CAPLAN CHANGED THE WAY WE EAT. Under the pen name Lewis B. Montgomery, she wrote all twelve books in the popular Milo & Jazz Mysteries chapter book series, which has been translated into Spanish, French, and Chinese. She lives in western Massachusetts with her family. Visit her online at mararockliff.com.
