January 12 feature: The Whipping Boy

A light, amusing, fairytale story is Sid Fleischman's The Whipping Boy. In this 1987 Newbery Medal winner, whenever the prince does something wrong, Jemmy is on hand to take his punishment. Since the prince is universally known throughout the kingdom as "Prince Brat", we get a sense that Jemmy's job is the roughest one in the castle. Before Jemmy can devise a way to escape, Prince Brat leaves the castle and Jemmy must go with him. The story cleverly twists and turns as Jemmy and Prince Brat weave through the kingdom meeting interesting characters and learning more about each other. The entertaining tale also has a bit of a moral lesson too. It's a fun, easy read.