Fleischman's: The Whipping boy

Sid Fleischman writes a very quick read: The Whipping Boy. It is surprising this simple book received as much attention as it did, winning the Newbury Medal in 1987. With foretelling titled chapters reminiscent of Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this book also tells the story of two unlikely travel companions: a runaway prince and a son of a rat trapping pauper turned servant/whipping boy. Along the road, the two encounter a gypsy girl, a dancing bear, a sight-impaired potato salesman, and a couple of bumbling thieves. The thieves conspire to ransom the prince who escapes with the help of the servant and the chase is on. Several great holes in the historical premise of the story greatly diminish its impact. Whipping boys were usually of high birth themselves, raised with the prince so a bond was formed, and were not punished in the King's presence, thereby defeating the purpose of having a whipping boy. So, the reader is left with a spoiled brat prince, jeopardizing someone else's life at his whim, learning a lesson and making a friend in the end. All in all, with its historical inaccuracies and annoying repetitious exclamations, not quite worth the space it takes on the library shelf.