Fleischman first came upon the idea for The Whipping Boy while doing historical research. Fleischman is a tireless researcher, and the backgrounds of his stories are always authentic. He prefers to set his stories in the past. His tall tales are faithful to the customs and speech patterns of the western frontier; McBroom and his family are pioneers from Connecticut who settle in Iowa. For The Whipping Boy Fleischman did a great deal of background reading, including Henry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor (1851-1862).
Fleischman says he made his...
Source: Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults, ©1999 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved. Full copyright.
(The entire page is 440 words.)
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