Ben kindly greeted me at the visitor’s center.
On book tour in Philadelphia (yes, I still love saying that), I got the chance to visit the Franklin Museum on the site where Ben Franklin’s former home and print shop stood. Fantastic museum, so well done! Since he is a major player in The Eureka Key, I feel a bond with him. Once you write about a person, it does sort of turn them into your best friend.
Franklin used this contraption to store electricity. It’s kind of like a colonial-era battery. He was fascinated by electricity and tinkered with it constantly. The kite and the key are his most famous experiment, but not the only one.
The “ghost houses” outline the space where Franklin’s home and his son-in-law’s print shop once stood. Evocative and strangely beautiful
The glass harmonium itself–invented by Franklin, it plays a key part in a pivotal scene of the novel.
Isn’t it amazing what archaeology can, er, dig up?
Sarah L. Thomson
A children’s book author publishing award-winning nonfiction, poetry, picture books and novels including…
“Readers will treasure the blossoming friendship between opposites in this whimsically illustrated tale. Short chapters and plenty of action make for an accessible and appealing reading experience. . . . Touching and inspiring.”
—Kirkus Reviews