BOOKS FOR CHILDREN, EDUCATION, AND HOMESCHOOLING
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SID FLEISCHMAN AND HIS BOOKS

The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer's Life by Sid Fleischman, author of By The Great Horn Spoon, The Whipping Boy,  Chancy and the Grand Rascal, and many more children's books .This was a fascinating book to read, since I've enjoyed Fleischman's sense of humor in his other books, and he was one of my son's favorite authors. He seems to specialize in books that are a cross between historical fiction and tall tales. His tongue must be firmly in his cheek as he writes, and one wonders how he developed as a writer -- and not only a writer, but one who received the coveted Newbery Medal. (Did you know his son Paul also became a writer and won the Newbery Award?)

Fleischman grew up during the Great Depression, taught himself magic when he was in the fifth grade, and traveled with a vaudeville show after high school. It never occurred to him he might be a writer. He had always planned to be a magician. In The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer's Life, Fleischman shares the factors that turned him from magic to writing. (And he didn't start out a juvenile writer, either.) As you read about his life, you will discover where he got a lot of the characters and plots you've seen in his books. I would suggest this book to boys who are interested in magic or other hands-on activities, though girls would also enjoy it. It could also be useful as a family read-aloud if the youngest child is at least second or third grade. And, of course, Fleischman fans and aspiring writers would also be motivated to read it.  Hardcover, with slight damage to dust jacket, BTH-5657. $12.-96-D.

Other Books by Sid Fleischman

By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman. A remainder with a remainder mark on the top edge. This is set in 1849 during the California Gold Rush. It's highly unlikely that a young man of twelve would stow away on a ship bound for the gold fields with his butler, both hidden in potato barrels, with the hope of striking it rich and saving his aunt's fortune. But that's how this adventure begins, and you'll be hooked before you finish the first few pages as you watch the butler, Praiseworthy, talk his way through almost any situation, beginning with their discovery  as stow-aways. Praiseworthy believes that even in the rowdy gold camps brains are better than brawn for solving problems, and you'll laugh as he manages to find ways out of all the scrapes he and his young master Jack get themselves into. This is fun for anyone grade four and above, and ties in well with studies of California history. BTH-5656. $3.93-B
 

Chancy and the Grand Rascal, trade paper, Beech Tree books, Publisher summary: Skinny Chancy and his newly found friend, the great rascal, enjoy humorous escapades as they travel by their wits up and across the midwest in search of Chancy's family. 182 pages. BTH-5655. $4.95*

The Ghost on Saturday Night by Sid Fleischman, illustrated by Laura Cornell. Beechtree Books, 1997. Another humorous tall tale by Fleischman. Professor Pepper says he will raise the ghost of a dead outlaw live on stage, but Opie and Aunt Etta suspect funny business. 53 pages. BTH-3484. $2.53-B

The Whipping Boy, trade paper. Jemmy is a poor boy, who used to live on the streets until he was brought to live in the castle as the whipping boy for Prince Brat. It was against the law to discipline the prince himself, so when the prince misbehaved, the whipping boy was punished instead. But one night, the bored young prince decided to run away, and commanded Jemmy to come along as his manservant. Almost immediately after running away, the two are captured by a cutthroat, and although they don't like each other, they have to learn to trust each other and work together. A Newbery Medal winner in 1987. 90 pages. BTH-2723. $5.39-D

Copyright © Barbara Radisavljevic, 2003

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