Classic work of historical fiction - The Whipping Boy

Bibliography
Fleischman, Sid. 1986. THE WHIPPING BOY. by Peter Sis. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0439441420

Plot Summary
Jemmy is an orpahned rat-catcher taken from the village to serve as the whipping boy for obnoxious Prince Brat. Since it is forbidden to physically harm the heir to the throne, Jemmy must suffer the punishment for the spoiled prince's mischief. Jemmy, tired of being thrashed, plans to run away, but Prince Brat beats him to it. He demands that Jemmy come with him and the two embark on an adventure involving two dangerous outlaws chasing after them. By the end, the two boys manage to escape and become friends and Prince Brat is changed for the better.

Critical Analysis
Fleischman makes this tale of a bratty prince come to life as the story mentions the trouble he causes with his practical jokes such as dumping bullfrogs in the moat to disturb everyone's sleep, hog-greasing the horses' saddles so that the knights slip and fall off, and tying the lords and ladies' wigs to their chairs so that when they stand up their wigs come flying off. His meaness and selfishness is reflected in him seeking to find pleasure from the whipping boy's pain. "A whipping boy is supposed to yowl like a stuck pig! We dress you up fancy and feed you royal, don't we? It's no fun if you don't bawl!" Jemmy, the whipping boy, is made to be a respectable hero as he endures the pain of the punishments without a noise uttered. He turns out to be not only street wise but more educated than the prince himself as he takes note of the prince's lessons while the prince refuses to learn how to read and write, saying "Pish-posh. I can always get someone to write my name for me." The plot is simple and entertaining, as the reader finds interest in the runaway adventure of Prince Brat and Jemmy to see if they can put aside their differences and work together to escape the clutches of Hold-Your-Nose Billy and Cutwater, two dangerous outlaws. To the reader's delight, annoying Prince Brat returns to the castle a changed person, which is demonstrated when he places Jemmy under his protection for saving him and the two become friends.

Short chapters make this story easy to read, giving readers a nice change of pace. Not only are the characters vividly portrayed, but the adventures of the boys are splashed with humor as when the reader finds out at the end of the story that the two outlaws escaped from the rat infested sewers only to unknowingly board a ship full of convicts "bound for a speck of island in distant waters. A convict island." Sis' black and white pen and ink illustrations capture the humor of the text and emphasize particular events in the story to match the author's comic style.

Review Excerpt(s)
Kirkus Reviews - "A rollicking tale of adventure and mistaken identity, written in a style reminiscent of 19th-century melodrama."
School Library Journal - "Supplmentary characters are well-drawn both by Fleischman and by Sis, so the whole hangs together in basic appeal."

Connections
*Other stories set in Medieval times:
De Angeli, Marguerite. THE DOOR IN THE WALL. ISBN 0440227798
Cushman, Karen. CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY. ISBN 0064405842
Cushman, Karen. THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE. ISBN 006440630X