Picture This: Mesmerized

Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

In 1776 Ben Franklin set sail for France to ask for money and soldiers that could help America in their war against the Brits. When he got to France, Paris was buzzing about a man called Dr. Mesmer.

Parisians were captivated by Dr Mesmer’s mysterious, magic-like force. He could cause people to taste vinegar when they drank plain water. He could cure people of illnesses. He sold his treatments and secrets for lots of money. When Ben Franklin witnessed Dr Mesmer’s “force” for himself, he was skeptical. He offered himself to Dr Mesmer, and when Dr Mesmer worked on him, nothing happened. He began to wonder if this “force” was more about people’s minds and the power of suggestion than any ability of Dr Mesmer’s. Ben set out to prove that Dr Mesmer was a fraud. (Spoiler alert: He succeeds.)

The design, illustration and writing are impeccable. I loved how the text really captured the sensationalism of it all--in content, the way that the story is told, and the typography. Iacopo Bruno illustrates the book with the type almost as much he does with the pictures. Sometimes the type is reminiscent of old advertising posters. He uses fonts and font size for emphasis and drama. Of course, the illustrations themselves are fabulous—dynamic, colorful, filled with action and movement, not to mention the fashions! And even the endpapers are bit mesmerizing.

Mara Rockliff incorporates Ben Franklin’s Scientific Method into the story as well, introducing it at the beginning and then including little asides along the way as Ben follows the steps to prove his theory of Dr Mesmer’s fraud. As part of the main book/story she also includes an explanation of hypnosis, and the placebo effect and how medical treatments are tested in modern times. At the end is a biographical note, explaining in more detail the lives of Benjamin Franklin and Franz Anton Mesmer.

And btw, this is where the word "mesmerize" comes from!!

 From the OED:

mesmerism, n. 
Etymology: < the name of Friedrich Anton Mesmer, Austrian physician (1734–1815) + -ism suffix, probably after French mesmérisme (1783). Mesmer settled in Paris in 1778 after accusations of fraud by physicians in his native Austria. 

 A therapeutic doctrine or system, first popularized by Mesmer, according to which a trained practitioner can induce a hypnotic state in a patient by the exercise of a force (called by Mesmer animal magnetism); the process or practice of inducing such a state; the state so induced, or the force supposed to operate in inducing it.

Recent Read: Circus Mirandus

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

“You promised me a miracle…and I have believed through all these years that if I had need of you, you would come. 
…I need you now.”

All his life, Micah Tuttle has heard stories of the wondrous Circus Mirandus, to which his grandfather, Ephraim, gained entry as a child, with a fish caught in his boot acting as a ticket. The circus is a sort of dream world, home to various magical acts and shows, like the Amazing Amazonian Bird Woman, who flies like her exotic birds, and The Man Who Bends Light, a master of illusion who can bring his audiences to shores of an Antarctic iceberg or to the depths of the Amazonian jungle.

But now Grandpa Ephraim’s health is declining, and Micah’s crotchety great aunt Gertrudis is now running the house. When Micah finds out that his grandpa Ephraim has written to request fulfillment of a miracle promised to him by the Lightbender years ago, Micah is sure that the miracle will save his grandfather. With the help of an unexpected new friend, the academically-minded Jenny Mendoza ( “Lightbender…I guess that’s a stage name?” ), Micah sets out to find Circus Mirandis, track down the Lightbender, and save his grandfather with a miracle.

This story was as magical as the circus for which it is named. Micah is trapped in an impossible situation. Aunt Gertrudis is caring for the grandfather he loves, but in the process she suffocates them both, forbidding all talk of magic and often barring Micah from even seeing his grandfather. But just as the desperation of Micah’s situation is palpable, so is the wonder and magic of Circus Mirandus. Micah, in spite of everything, does not doubt or falter. He follows in in the footsteps of Grandpa Ephraim, always pushing ahead, always believing.

Debut author Cassie Beasley alternates chapters about Micah’s and his quest with those about young Ephraim. The characters are well-drawn, the magic world enchanting, and the writing lovely. Also, those illustrations by are a nice addition, contributing to the feel of this novel. It's a celebration of that childlike ability to believe and hope. This is the one to beat. I’m already routing for it to win the Newbery.