1987 Newbery Medal Winner

The Whipping Boy
by Sid Flieschman
89 pages
I enjoyed this short, historical fiction adventure book. I laughed out loud several times and found myself wishing I could step inside the book to tell one particular character to stop talking, as his words continued to get him into trouble.

This story is about a prince and his whipping boy during the time of castles, knights, and strange ideas. For instance, thinking that whipping a servant boy for a prince's misdeeds would actually teach the prince a lesson. Strange ideas, indeed.

The prince beats Jemmy, the orphan whipping boy, to the punch and decides to run away, taking Jemmy with him to be his manservant. I loved how Jemmy used his wit and knowledge to help himself and the prince after they were kidnapped by two cutthroats. Yes, help the very prince who actually delighted in acting up on a daily basis so that Jemmy would get punished in his stead.

Trust and friendship are very important in my life as they are in this book. Adventure, adversity, and trials forge these two very unlikely partners together. And through the help of a potato seller, a girl, and a dancing bear, learn some of the most important lessons that life has to offer.