1. The Whipping Boy is set in some indefinite period before industrialization. How has life on the street changed since then? Would Jemmy feel at home in a modern American city?

2. The boys often speak or think about their fathers. Why are Jemmy's mother and the queen never mentioned?

3. Humor is not easy to define. What, in your opinion, is the funniest episode in this book? Why would you say it is funny?

4. In the opening chapter, how does Fleischman demonstrate the absurdity of the whipping boy convention?

5. To what extent is this book a defense of democracy? Class systems arise in any society, but what is the author's attitude toward them?

6. Is Jemmy the leading character in this story, or does he share the lead with the prince?

7. How does Fleischman give his narrative the rapid pace that young readers demand?

8. Fleischman is adept...