This was a fun little youth fiction mystery featuring a 15 year old Benjamin Franklin assisting a young female servant solve a mystery and escape servitude in 1721 Boston.

i liked it. it was a good book! ben franklin is always getting in trouble and taking risks!
and at first really did not like it but after a few chapters i could not stop reading it!
if you read this book i really think you will enjoy it a lot! ( )

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

14-year-old Patience Martin is the daughter of a sea captain and an escaped slave. Living in 1721 Boston, Patience faces four dreary years as an indentured servant to Abedela Worth.

When Mrs. Worth dies, however, Patience takes her chances and makes the mistake of running away.

Soon it is discovered that Mrs. Worth was poisoned, and Patience is suspected of stealing a lot of cash from her. Can she clear her name and solve the mystery behind Mrs. Worth's death?

THE SECRET OF THE SEALED ROOM is an intriguing mystery. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is complex and seemingly historically accurate. Those who like mystery, adventure, and historical fiction will all enjoy reading this book. ( )

Young Patience Martin is a bright, spunky, and witty teenaged girl with a knack for getting into trouble. Facing four more years as an indentured servant is wearing thin with Patience. However, she gets more than she bargained for when her mistress, Mrs. Worth, dies from poisoning. Add a missing strongbox into the mix and Patience decides to run off. With a reward being offered for her capture, Patience turns to an unlikely friend, a young printer's apprentice named Benjamin Franklin, for help.

Before Patience can get into even deeper trouble, the two adventurous teens set out to solve the mystery of Mrs. Worth's death and to find the missing cash . Follow them through the streets of colonial Boston as the two devise various schemes to reveal the real murderer and thief.

The Bottom Line: "The Secret of the Sealed Room: A Mystery of Young Benjamin Franklin" is a fun and quick read for the middle school set; this is a great introduction to historical fiction. Kids who enjoy mysteries will be intrigued.

This review also appears at Mini Book Bytes Book Reviews: http://minibookbytes.blogspot.com/ ( )