Lane Smith crafts the book, John, Paul, George & Ben, as a storyteller speaking directly to the reader. You become wrapped up in the perspective of our forefathers’ childhoods. Kids will find it interesting to read about the historical persons as children, doing everyday child-like activities. Lane Smith’s humor is refreshing.
John, Paul, George & Ben is a fun background read for American history. Each of the five Sons of Liberty are spotlighted with events that made them famous.
In the back of the book, Lane Smith adds a true/false section to clarify focal points in the short chapters shared. I love the humor and play on words. What a fun way to get a discussion going!
There a brief video advertisement for the book. Scroll to the second video on the link. Another video, below, shows a sneak peek at the book and shares what inspired Lane Smith to create the book.
Savorings for reading and in writing for John, Paul, George & Ben:
- Magic of 3 – John Hancock (you’ll be laughing)
- Punctuation – clauses especially names
- Humor – takes normal activity and creates a twist. For example, Paul rung the bell. The ringing caused his hearing to be back. Thus, he’d yell to the customers where he worked.
- One day experience – George
- Power of Words – Tom
- True/False section in back – excellent background for the Revolutionary War
- Great teacher resource link
Book Savors 
It sounds like a good book to share with our librarian. Lots of interest in early American history, and this looks good for the younger students. I like the way you list the positive things at the end of your post, the savorings!