The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman

Prince Horace is a spoiled brat, one who’s constantly causing trouble in an attempt to get his father’s attention.  He’s a kid who’s in serious need of a good spanking, but since he’s the prince no one can raise a hand against him.  Instead, his family has taken in an orphan boy named Jemmy, whose sole purpose in life is to receive punishments on behalf of the prince whenever Horace misbehaves.  It’s a horrible life and Jemmy longs for his freedom, which suddenly comes one day when Prince Horace decides to run away from the castle!

I read this book for the first time in second grade, and one of the main reasons it appealed to me back then was because of how Prince Horace’s unfair arrangement was laid bare from the beginning.  Imagine, being punished for doing absolutely nothing wrong…or even worse, having someone intentionally do something wrong in order to get you in trouble!  This unjust way of life is immediately identifiable for anyone who’s ever had the thought that “life isn’t fair”, and it’s no wonder that Mr. Fleischman was presented with the Newbery Award for his great story. 

White Fang, by Jack London

This book is about a rough dog named White Fang, who’s actually three-quarters wolf.  Born in the wilds of Canada’s Yukon Territory, White Fang survives by moving between Indian tribes, ferocious wolf packs and even a dog-fighting ring.  White Fang’s struggles finally come to an end when a gold prospector buys the dog and brings him onward to California.  There, a warm, sunny retirement awaits…or does it?

One of the things I like best about Mr. London’s writing is the fact that he doesn’t shy away from depicting the grisly realities of life on the frontier.  Tough men headed west expecting to live a tough live, and by all accounts they weren’t disappointed.  This book is written in a similar style, although I do have to say that the depictions of violence and cruelty aren’t too excessive.  If anything, this book is an accurate depiction of what frontier life must have been like, and it doesn’t hurt one bit that the main character is a heroic dog! 

S.O.R. Losers, by AVI

The South Orange River (S.O.R.) School has a great reputation in sports, to the point where they’ve never lost a game this season.  That winning record is about to change, however, when some non-sporting kids decide to form SOR’s first soccer team.   When their overeager parents force the team to continue on after their first blowout loss, the kids rack up an impressive losing record that only serves to bring these misfits closer together!

Growing up, I read a ton of sports books by awesome authors like Matt Christopher.  While these books were great, most of them were usually about talented kids who excelled on the playing field.  Avi’s book is much different, because it shows that sports can still be beneficial for those of us who weren’t blessed with a ton of athletic ability.  Be sure to pick up a copy of this classic, and I guarantee you’ll be laughing out loud until the final whistle!