Introduces Benjamin Banneker, a free black man of the eighteenth century who loved to learn and used his knowledge and observations to build a wooden clock, write an almanac, and help survey the streets of Washington, D.C.
Benjamin Banneker - American Mathematician and Astronomer
Wildcats and wolves and a few bears hid in the nearby woods when Benjamin Banneker was born. It was November 9, 1731. The new baby slept peacefully in the sturdy log cabin where he lived with his family. The Banneker family lived in Maryland. It was still an English colony in 1731. Thirteen colonies made up the new land of America. They weren’t states yet because the king of England was the ruler.
Different Like Me introduces children aged 8 to 12 years to famous, inspirational figures from the world of science, art, math, literature, philosophy and comedy. Eight-year-old Quinn, a young boy with Asperger's Syndrome, tells young readers about the achievements and characteristics of his autism heroes, from Albert Einstein, Dian Fossey and Wassily Kandinsky to Lewis Carroll, Benjamin Banneker and Julia Bowman Robinson, among others. All excel in different fields, but are united by the fact that they often found it difficult to fit in - just like Quinn.
