Author: Sid Fleischman

1. Author: Sid Fleischman Presents by: Jessica Spencer LEE 214: Author/Illustrator Study Project

2. Biography 1920-2010 • Born in Brooklyn March 16, 1920 • At 2yrs old moved to San Diego during the Great Depression • In 5th grade decided to pursue magic, by high school he was a professional magician performing later in vaudeville acts like Francisco Spook Show

3. Biography • Published first book at 19, Between Cocktails (1939), a collection of paper match magic tricks • Attended San Diego State College, interrupted by service in WWII with U.S. Naval Reserve • Published first fiction book at 28, The Straw Donkey Case (1948) • Graduated from SDSC with degree in English, worked as a reporter for San Diego Daily Journal until it closed in 1950

4. Biography Over the next 15yrs wrote a series of adventure novels based on his experiences as a magician, on Pacific tours in WWII, and as a reporter; many of his novels during this time were later adapted to movies, including Blood Alley (1955), LafayetteEscadrille (1958)

5. Biography • In 1962, he published Mr. Mysterious & Company, a fiction book for his three children "My young children led me into writing children's books. They didn’t understand what I did for a living. Other fathers, they learned, left home in the morning and returned at the end of the day. I was always around the house. I decided to clear up the mystery and wrote a book just for them." • This began a long career in children’s literature, with notable books: • By the Great Horn Spoon! (1963) • Jingo Django (1971) • The Bloodhound Gang (Series 1981-1982) • McBroom (Non-Sequential Series 1966-1980) • The Whipping Boy (1986) • The White Elephant (2006)

6. Biography http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/fleischman/

7. Biography • “As a children's book author, Sid Fleischman felt a special obligation to his readers. ‘The books we enjoy as children stay with us forever -- they have a special impact. Paragraph after paragraph and page after page, the author must deliver his or her best work.’ With almost 60 titles to his credit, some of which have been turned into motion pictures, Sid Fleischman's books made a special impact.” http://sidfleischman.com/biography.html • His novel writing process often only took3to 12-months; because he never mapped out the book’s plot or events, he was excited each day to write- sharing in the thrill and unpredictably of the story with his readers!

8. Biography • Fleischman has authored more than 60 books and is credited with nonfiction biographies, fiction for adults and children, books on magic, teleplays, and screenplays, and theatre plays • Paul Fleischman won a Newbery Medal for Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices(1988), making Sid and Paul the only father-son authors to win the award

9. Children’s Books

10. Children’s Books Book List: http://sidfleischman.com/booklist.html

11. Awards • Newbery Award in 1987 for The Whipping Boy • Nominee for the International Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1994 • Netherlands' Silver PencilAward • Belgium's Prix de Literature Enfantine. • 2002 Literary Fellowship from the Magic Castle's Academy of Magical Arts • Sid Fleischman Humor Award, 2003, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators • Literary Fellowship, 2002, The Magic Castle's Academy of Magical Arts • Golden Dolphin Award, 2002, Southern California Children's Booksellers Association • FOCAL Award, 2002, Friends of Children and Literature

12. Awards (cont’d) • Finalist, American Book Awards • The Mark Twain Award (Missouri) • The Lewis Carroll Shelf Award • The California Young Reader Medal • Silver Medal, Commonwealth Club of California • The John and Patricia Beatty Award • Boston Globe-Horn Book Award The Nene Award (Hawaii) • The Charlie May Simon Award (Arkansas, three times) • The Young Hoosier Award (Indiana) • The Golden Archer Award (Wisconsin) • Boys Clubs of America Junior Book Award • Jo Osborne Humor Award • Parent's Choice Award • Redbook Award Paul A. Witty Award • American Library Association Notable Books • School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

13. By the Great Horn Spoon! “In this rollicking adventure set during the California Gold Rush, Jack's aunt is forced to sell her beloved mansion to meet her debts. She is still unable to raise enough money to pay her creditors, and twelve-year-old Jack goes to California in search of gold to help her. Joined by his trusty butler, Praiseworthy, Jack finds adventure and trouble at every turn. Will Jack strike gold in San Francisco or come home empty-handed?” http://www.powells.com/biblio?inkey=62-0316286125-0

14. By the Great Horn Spoon! Analysis By the Great Horn Spoon! is a book that correlates best with fourth grade history standards. Although this book initially appeals to nine and ten year old boys, it makes great cross-curricular links to historical textbook readings about the Gold Rush time period and is therefore adaptable to all students. The rich language that Sid Fleischman uses helps students develop a feel for the time period and envelops students into the story. The dynamic relationships that the main characters form along their adventures from Boston to California give students a chance to distinguish ethical boundaries, in deciding which people are helping or hurting Jack and Praiseworthy’s chances at discovering gold. The story introduces old language/dialect in interesting ways, which naturally elicits vocabulary discussions that further deepen each student’s working knowledge and understanding of the time period. Fostering a more seamless preamble for background knowledge thus yields more time spent on comprehension and retention in history lessons and less time reviewing unfamiliar words, terms, and settings. Complimentary reading and history lessons, coupled with early exposure ethical dilemmas, make The Great Horn Spoon! aneffective and fantastic developmental book- one that is certainly worthy of it’s accolades!

15. The White Elephant “How can a beautiful white elephant be a terrible curse? Run-Run, a young elephant trainer, discovers the answer when he incurs the fury of the prince. The boy's punishment? The gift of an elephant, white as a cloud. From that moment forward, the curse reveals itself. According to tradition, so rare an elephant cannot be allowed to work for its keep. It is poor Run-Run who must feed the beast the hundreds of pounds of food it eats each day, and scrub it clean, and brush its pom-pom of a tail, and wash behind its ears, and, above all, keep it from doing any work. Oh, if only Run-Run could make the magnificent white elephant disappear! Clever as a magician, he does—but the curse has tricks of its own for Run-Run.” http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780061131363-0

16. The White Elephant Analysis Sid Fleischman uses colorful language to link realistic fiction to historical references. The book introduces terms and phrases that bring awareness to the Thai cultureand diverse relationships between the elephants and Run-Run. Young readers will gain a working knowledge about elephants, including how to care for them, their eating habits, and how strong they are. The historical perspectives and terms increasingly reveal their meaning throughout the book using authentic language, references to kings and princes (Prince Noi), and names of people and exotic animals. The unique characters that Fleischman imbues in the story create a more realistic setting for their interactions and events. He presents the animals in realistic situations without resorting to caricatures. The bonds that are cultivated between the animals and the main character (Run-Run) will appeal to the young reader’s life experiences with pets or other animals. Classroom lessons can be built around the understanding that actions have consequences; young readers can evaluate cause-and-effect relationships within character interactions and events of the story and often times come to a variety of viewpoints.Furthermore,the internal dialogue of Run-Run, which narrates the story, is infused with a strong sense of emotion, which draws the reader to make ethical conclusions of their own; rather than the author guiding each step of the story, the reader is afforded the opportunity to infer and predict what will come next.

17. The Whipping Boy “A shout comes echoing up the stairway ‘Fetch the whipping boy!’ A young orphan named Jemmy rouses from his sleep. ‘Ain't I already been whipped twice today? Gaw! What's the prince done now?’ It was forbidden to spank, thrash, or whack the heir to the throne. Jemmy had been plucked from the streets to serve as whipping boy to the arrogant and spiteful Prince Brat. Dreaming of running away, Jemmy finds himself trapped in Prince Brat's own dream--at once brash and perilous. In this briskly told tale of high adventure, taut with suspense and rich with colorful characters, the whipping boy and Prince Brat must at last confront each other.” http://www.powells.com/biblio?inkey=62-0688062164-0

18. The Whipping Boy Analysis The Whipping Boy is a story that discusses a very serious topic that people still experience today- hierarchical distinctions and differences of social classes. These differences are vividly illustrated through Prince Brat (Horace) and Jemmy (the “whipping boy”). Fleischman uses humorous language to connect the two boys in their adventures throughout the story. The book explains how the boys overcome class barriers by learning how to share their skills and experiences. The Prince learns a very important lessonwhen Jemmy takes Horace into the sewers; Jemmy feels at home, but Horace feels displaced and bewildered.Because the Prince was forced to rely on Jemmy for security and survival, the humbling experience sparks an unexpected friendship and mutual understanding. The story’s multiple themes, of prejudice, class barriers, entitlement, maturation, and friendship, is a powerful one, yet the story includes enough adventures to keep the reader interested and engaged.Reading this book as a class will hopefully address and alleviate student insecurities about their own background, culture, upbringing, and perhaps social standing, with class topics and discussions geared to identify the positive attributes of diversity, communication, and respect.

19. Activities Sensory/Descriptive: • Describe the relationship between Prince Brat (Horace) and Jemmy (the “whipping boy”): • How did they feel about each other? • What role did each of them play in their adventures? how did their relationship change over time? • Be sure to use at least two adjectives for each event/experience to describe their blossoming friendship. • Write a short dialogue based on this chapter and perform it in front of your classmates. Target: Grade 4-5

20. Activities Imaginative/Narrative: How would this story change if the Prince Brat (Horace) and Jemmy were girls? Write a story about what would have happened if things had been the other way around. (OR) What would you have done if you were the Prince or Jemmy? Write a new chapter for the novel and introduce a new character of your own creation. Pretend you are Jemmy.  Write a note to the king warning him about Billy and Cutwater. Target Grade: 4-5

21. Activities Analytical/Persuasive: Do you think that Jemmy actually did any good for the prince?  Either defend or oppose corporal punishments in both school and home.  Are there any countries in the world that still use corporal punishment?  What is the difference between capital and corporal punishment? Target Grade: 6-7

22. Activities Analytical/Persuasive: Master Peckwit, Prince Brat's tutor, was upset because the Prince could neither read nor write. Since the whipping boy, Jemmy, had to take the punishment for the Prince's misdeeds, the Prince did not care whether he had his lessons or not. Everyday the Prince has a new excuse for not showing up with his homework. Write an excuse for today, using three of the items in the list below. Target Grade: 3-5

23. Activities Practical/Informative: Pretend you are a news reporter reporting on this event. Write an article about the events of this day- be sure to include all the facts! Find and explain different expressions in your own words, such as: "Pull the wool over your eyes".  List some other expressions that you can think of? Research the tides. What affects the tides and where are the highest tides in the world? Conduct a debate on the pros and cons of the monarchy in the United Kingdom. Use facts to defend your opinions. Research various modes of transportation during this time period. How might royal coaches be different from Captain Nips' coach? How are they different from today? Find as much information as possible on rats and their habitats. What benefits do we derive from rats?  How were rats associated with the plague? Give a book talk on this novel to another class. See if you can be convince some of them to read the novel.  Make sure you arouse their interest without giving away too much of the plot. http://www.nt.net/torino/boy.html http://www.nancypolette.com/litguidestext/whippingboy.htm Target Grades 3-6

24. Personal Reflection Sid Fleischman is a vibrant writer with a sense of humor that reflects his passion and wonderment of literature. Authors like Fleischman that devote their careers writing to impart knowledge to others are truly motivating individuals. He was able to share his life-lessons and experiences ubiquitously by enveloping readers in language, characters, and settings that sprang to life within the pages of his stories. Fleischman’s ability to grip the attention of young readers and transport them into another world has long promoted the imagination and curiosity of developing adolescent minds- so much so, I might add, that his own son followed in his footsteps. His books lend to children the opportunity to evaluate gray areas of ethical dilemmas, life-altering decisions, and independent judgment. The authentic tone and realistic settings come about from countless time the author spent researching and familiarizing himself the period, people, place, and events, which can be demonstrating by the novel language and dialect each story, and in some cases each character, exhibits, and by the believable nature and context of the people and things that inhabit each world. Although Fleischman is the first to acknowledge his own perceived shortfalls in style and structure, his decision to move into children’s books yielded a tremendous advancement in the quality and variety in an otherwise homogeneous genre of fantasy and fairy tales.

25. References • Sid Fleischman:http://sidfleischman.com/index.html • Videos: http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/fleischman/ • Google: Book list: https://www.google.com/search?q=sid+fleischman+books&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#q=sid+fleischman+books&client=firefox-a&hs=kXh&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&ei=aIncUa-0OcagigLbt4FI&start=10&sa=N&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAGOovnz8BQMDgxYHsxCnfq6-gUlJimmJEoKpJeBYWpKRXxSS75Sfn-2fl1NpnhXofHT-h7OfHpxM1HWLXuRsdEUfAC_j1fFHAAAA&lei=aIncUa-0OcagigLbt4FI&npsic=0&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48705608,d.cGE&fp=8e25061beee4d536&biw=1280&bih=632 • Lesson Plan Ideas: • http://www.nt.net/torino/boy.html • http://www.nancypolette.com/litguidestext/whippingboy.htm • http://mylearningcenter.net/hornspoon/index.htm By The Great Horn Spoon! –Activities • Recording: http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/screen_recorder