Life for 12-year-old Luke Adams is tough, and it's about to get weird, too. His mother died when he was 10, his dad is a workaholic, and Benjamin Franklin just traveled to his backyard from 1783 Paris. Luke wants more than anything to help his dad become the family man he used to be. He also wants to keep his bully, Hunter Lyons, from convincing their middle school to cancel all of the art classes. And, as if that's not enough, now that Benjamin Franklin is standing in his living room - wearing tights, short pants, and a ruffly white shirt, no less - Luke has to find a way to get him back to Paris in time to sign the treaty that ends the American Revolution.

With a little wisdom from Ben and a lot of determination, Luke tries hard to solve his problems. He helps out in his dad's Italian bistro, sells Ben's valuable coins at an antique show, sketches a one hundred-dollar bill, and even finds the courage to speak in front of a packed audience of middle schoolers.

Oh, and he teaches Ben all about the modern world. He even teaches Ben how to drive!

Life for 12-year-old Luke Adams is tough, and it's about to get weird, too. His mother died when he was 10, his dad is a workaholic, and Benjamin Franklin just traveled to his backyard from 1783 Paris. Now that Ben is standing in his living room - wearing tights, short pants, and a ruffly white shirt, no less - Luke has to find a way to get him back to Paris in time to sign the treaty that ends the American Revolution. Oh, and he teaches Ben how to drive!