The Whipping Boy
With his flair for persuading readers to believe in the ridiculous, Fleischman scores a hit with The Whipping Boy. The orphan Jemmy, is kept in his king’s palace to be thrashed for the offenses committed by the royal heir, known as Prince Brat.
It is forbidden to punish Brat, whose tricks multiply until Jemmy is tempted to escape the daily round of flogging. But the prince himself takes off and forces the whipping boy to go with him.
As they get into and out of trouble, Jemmy hears that people have accused him of abducting Brat. When the prince arranges for their return to the palace, poor Jemmy fears the worst. Will things go as poorly as Jemmy fears? Or will it all work out for the best in the end?
- About the author: Albert Sidney Fleischman (born Avron Zalmon Fleischman) was an American author of children’s books, screenplays, novels for adults, and nonfiction books. His works for children are known for their humor, imagery, and zesty plotting. He won the Newbery Medal in 1987 for The Whipping Boy. He also won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award in 1979 for Humbug Mountain.
