Families who loved Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares by Frank Murphy often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is struggling with boredom, fidgeting, or the need for constant stimulation during long waits. It serves as a fantastic bridge for kids who may feel that history is dry or that math is just about rote memorization. By framing Ben Franklin as a real person who got bored in long meetings, the story validates a child's own restlessness while offering a creative outlet for that energy. The book follows Franklin during his time as a clerk for the Pennsylvania Assembly. To keep his mind active, he develops the magic square, a mathematical puzzle where rows and columns add up to the same number. It beautifully highlights themes of curiosity and self-regulation, showing how a proactive mind can turn a dull situation into a game of discovery. For parents of 6 to 9 year olds, it is a practical tool to introduce logic puzzles and historical figures in a way that feels playful rather than academic.
