The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman is a strong and entertaining novel to use to illustrate the abuse of power theme. It is a great book to use in your classroom or homeschool for a whole class novel study, small book groups, or individual book studies.
Sid Fleishman first published The Whipping Boy in 1986, and it won the Newbery Medal in 1987. The author uses a comical style, vivid descriptions, and some good literary devices to help the reader explore the ramification of one’s behavior and how the abuse of power can have negative consequences.
From the Book Jacket:
Jemmy, once a poor boy living on the streets, now lives in a castle. As the whipping boy, he bears the punishment when Prince Brat misbehaves, for it is forbidden to spank, thrash, or whack the heir to the throne. The two boys have nothing in common and even less reason to like one another. But when they find themselves taken hostage after running away, they are left with no choice but to trust each other.
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Sid Fleischman blends comedy with deep compassion in this memorable novel. The read offers a fun experience while provoking deeper thought and leading to extended conversations about how abusing power can have unintended and negative consequences.
I offer a complete novel study to accompany The Whipping Boy for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
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