The Whipping Boy

I was sad to hear that Newbery medal winning author Sid Fleischam passed away on the 17th. I REALLY like this author, and I'm glad that his legacy will live on. His on-line obituary is available at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mercedsunstar/obituary.aspx?n=sid-fleischman&pid=141029422. If you go to this link, make sure to take a look at the guest book. It is amazing how many people enjoy his work. One of the things about this author is that he didn't try to write in a way that made everyone like his books, he wrote to tell a story and make his readers think. Mr. Fleishcham’s Newbery award winning book is about royalty in the olden days. I didn't know that when a young prince would get into trouble, his whipping boy would be punished because royalty wasn't allowed to be punished. I think it is miraculous that both father and son won the Newbery in the same decade (just two years apart). And both of the books were really deserving of the medal…  I really encourage everyone to read this book soon to remember Mr. Fleischam (it's fairly short, so you could read it in a day or two)


Rating: *****