BOOK REPORT the whipping boy

The Whipping Boy

by Sid Fleischman

Finding appropriate reading for my 8 year-old can be hard. I want a book that she won't want to put down but I also want it to teach her something. Luckily, I have a wonderful children's librarian at our local library and she recommended The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman for my daughter to read. Little did I know upon giving it to her she had already read it. 

"Oh yeah mom I read that already. You should read it, it's really good!" To which I replied that I have read it too, just many years ago. But I thought that it would be the perfect book to re-read and share. 

The characters in the book are very colorful and even I was sucked in from the very beginning. We are introduced to Prince Brat and an orphan boy named Jemmy who serves as the "whipping boy" who is always punished in place of the prince. The book is about the transformation we see in the two boys once problems and adventures arise. 

It is very simply written so that a child can read it on his or her own, but it is also a perfect book for a parent to read aloud. It won the well deserved Newbery Medal Award in 1987. It's a great book to kick off your summer reading list.

For more age-appropriate books and reading lists, browse through Fairmont's Pinterest boards.

Book jacket image from wikipedia

Contributed by Darcy, Fairmont Private Schools