Chapter One

Homework done?

Check!

Piano played?

Check!

This was the short checklist Rosie Lubliner mentally went through every time she wanted to time travel. This 9-year-old, unusually clever, inventive girl had actually created the very first time machine. She loved her brand new invention. She had accidentally invented it after she had finished her homework. One day, she was messing around, trying to build a time machine… then she went in and just pressed some buttons, and it worked. She had been so excited.

Rosie stepped inside the giant box, and pressed some buttons. Her time machine was a big metal box. It was a very simple machine. It had five buttons in it, and a keypad for typing in what year you wanted to go to.

She shut her eyes, and wondered what it would be like to live during the time of the American Revolution. The last time she had time traveled, Rosie had accidentally changed Egyptian history. A couple of days before his actual death, a pyramid had fallen on King Tut’s head. This time, hopefully things would stay as they were intended to.

The sharp buzzing sound shook Rosie back into the present, or rather, the past. The doors to the time machine opened and said two words: Thirteen colonies.

Rosie nervously stepped outside. The geeky girl had traveled to 1765, which was the time of the Stamp Act. She knew that this time was a dangerous one. The Patriots HATED the Stamp tax. People were tarred and feathered every day. Stamps were burned on the streets. Angry mobs attacked tax collectors.

A deep loud voice startled her out of her day dream. “Hello! I’m John Baker, fighter in the Continental Army. Who art thou?”

“Um… Er… Uhh…” In all of her time-travel experiences, nobody had ever spoken directly to her, nor had anyone asked her name. “I’m Rosie. Rosie Lubliner.”

“Hello, Rosie Lubliner. Art thou a patriot?”

“Yes… er… certainly.”    

“Wonderful,” John Baker said. “But the battlefield is no place for a young girl such as you. Let me lead you to a safe place.”

“Okay.” Even though she wanted to see action, she didn’t want to die!

“Follow me.” So Rosie followed John. He lead her to a horse cart. “I will take it upon myself to lead you to Pennsylvania. I have a friend named Benjamin Franklin who works at the gazette.”

Rosie was thrilled. What could be better than meeting an all-time famous man who was practically the hero of the American Revolution? She jumped at the chance.

“Sure! I would love to! I think I have heard of him.”

“Splendid. He is quite a nice man,” John Baker replied. Little did he know that his friend Benjamin Franklin was soon to be world-famous.

The carriage bumped along the dirt path for a good three hours.

This future Militia leader sure is nice! she thought.

When John and Rosie arrived in Pennsylvania, she was so tired she could have fallen asleep while she was walking. But then she caught a glimpse of Ben Franklin, and she straightened.  

OMG, OMG, OMG!!! Rosie was super excited. She loved Benjamin Franklin. He was her idol. After all, he was a founding father! And a great inventor, just like her! She was so psyched to meet him.

“Hello, young lady. I am Benjamin Franklin,” Benjamin said. “What art thou name?”

“Hello! I’m Rosie! Rosie Lubliner,”  Rosie said.

“Benjamin, would it be okay if Rosie stayed here and helped you with the gazette?” John Baker asked.

“Why, yes! I would be delighted to have such a lovely young lady working in my shop.”

“Farewell, Rosie,” John said.

“Goodbye,” Ben and Rosie spoke at the same time.

Rosie looked around the gazette shop. She glanced at the printing press. It looked so cool. So old fashioned. It was the original Benjamin Franklin printing press! It was so awesome to see it in person when it was still being used! The press was big and wooden. She touched it. It felt smooth.

“Rosie, would you like to print this piece that I just wrote?” Benjamin asked Rosie

“Um… okay. But I don’t know how to use one,” she said.

“I shall teach thou, then.”

“Okay!” Rosie was thrilled to learn how to use a real printing press from the 1700s!

There was a moment of silence between them.  

“Are you any good at writing?” Ben asked suddenly.

Rosie blushed. She didn’t want to brag, even though, at school she aced every class, including language arts. “Uh… yes.”

Benjamin Franklin didn’t seem to notice her slight hesitation. “Wonderful. Then let us get started!”