The Whipping Boy

By Sid Fleischman

Prince Brat is the most horrid spoiled rotten kid in the whole kingdom, and being a prince, it makes him think he’s got a right to be. Jemmy is his whipping boy, the boy brought in whenever the prince does something worthy of a spanking, which is far more often than Jemmy likes. One day Prince Brat and Jemmy are kidnapped by two ruffians and it is up to Jemmy to try and save the prince, who can’t seem to keep his mouth shut, and show him that if he wants friends he needs to be a friend too.

 

I remember my teacher reading this out loud in second grade. I didn’t remember much because, frankly, my listening skills were horrible as a kid. I do remember that it was funny. So, when I found it the other day I thought, I can read this is one sitting, I’ll try it. This book is great. It’s a fun way to get kids to read and see that being a spoiled brat isn’t the way to win friends and get people to like you. It’s interesting even as an adult, which is the way I look at great kids writing: if you still value it as an adult, it’s a good book.

 

I give it a 3 ½ out of 5