The Whipping Boy

The Whipping Boy

Author: Sid Fleischman

Illustrator:  Peter Sis

Newbery Award

"Bring the whipping boy!"  This is the story of a named Jemmy, who used to live in the streets and at some point in his life became the whipping boy at the castle.  Prince Brat who is the Kings son is very mischevios and everytime he does something he is not supposed to the will call for the whipping boy.  Prince Brat is upset because Jemmy will not cry or scream whenever he gets whipped.  Jemmy has decided that he will not let one tear for Prince Brat and therefore he toughens up during the whipping.  The Prince is unhappy with Jemmy because he will no cry.  He threatens to get him kicked out back into the streets where he was before taken to the palace.  The prince decides he wants to leave the castle and goes to get Jemmy to go with him.  Jemmy reluctantly goes with him.  The prince took a basket full of food and he took a horse.  They rode out in the night and Jemmy's plan was to escape but instead they got captured by two bad men.  Hold-your-nose Billy and Cutwater where two legendary murderes.  The bad guys planned to send a note for a ransom and at one point thought Jemmy was the prince because Prince Brat was so bad he actually never learned to read or write but Jemmy had. When Hold-your-nose Billy took the horse back with the note, Cutwater was left alone with Jemmy and thr prince and they managed to escape. A series of things happen from here on and at one point Jemmy is wanted because they think he conspired to kidnap the prince. By the end if the story Prince Brat learns alot of things and ate the end of the book, Jemmy ends up being more than just the whipping boy.

I would use this book in my classroom for a read aloud.  It is a great story and a great literary work so I think it would be very beneficial for building the language of the students.  I believe this would be a good book to read to second graders.