QWERTY STEVENS, STUCK IN TIME WITH BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

In this laugh-out-loud sequel to The Edison Mystery (not reviewed), seventh-grade computer whiz Qwerty Stevens sucks Ben Franklin out of the past for a tour of the modern world, then follows him back to 1776 to witness the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Pulling a history report off the Internet (for which he gets into deep doo-doo later), Qwerty accidentally activates his “Anywhere Anytime” machine—and suddenly there’s an old man in tights sitting on his bed. Marveling at such wonders as light switches and pencil sharpeners, uttering strings of apothegms (“ ‘The more a man has, the more he wants. Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it. He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money’ ”) and hitting on every woman he meets, Franklin proves to be the hero of the piece, calmly confronting a bully in Qwerty’s class, then later outwitting deranged thief Ashley Quadrel who, as in the previous adventure, follows Qwerty back in time with the intent of wreaking havoc on the past. Gutman separates historical fact, of which there is a considerable amount here, from fiction in an afterword, then closes with an appreciation of Franklin’s inventions and other accomplishments. The author gives Qwerty a mild case of ADD, just to jump on that bandwagon, but his light touch makes this a painless introduction to a pivotal person in American history as well as a knee-slapper for “Time Warp Trio” fans. (Fiction. 10-13)