The Whipping Boy (1987)

Halfway through this book I thought I'd post a one word response: "Meh."

But when I finished it, I decided it's really quite a gem, particularly for its short length. This is exactly the kind of book I looked for a few years ago, when my older son had the desire to read something more dramatic than Junie B. Jones, but wasn't yet ready for Eragon.

Kudos to Sid Fleishman for writing a short tale full of humor, suspense and poignancy.

(p.s. I'm embarrassed to say I spend the majority of this book thinking it was written by the author of Danny and the Dinosaur. That would be Syd (with a "Y") Hoff. Who knows how my brain catalogue works.)