Like Father, Like Son: the Prolific Fleischmans

Are children influenced by their parents?  Yes!  And parents are influenced by their children!  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that prolific author Paul Fleischman, whose birthday is today, is the son of another prolific writer:  Sid Fleischman.  Sid said his children led him into his career writing children's books (more here).  And Paul says growing up hearing his father read aloud chapters of the books as they were being written was a huge part of his education.

Another thing I discovered is that this father and son are the only parent and child to win Newbery awards - Sid for a book our family thoroughly enjoyed, The Whipping Boy in 1987; Paul for Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, in 1989.

Sid Fleischman (who died in 2010) has quite an interesting biography, which you can read here. The list of books this author has written is astounding!  Another favorite of ours is By The Great Horn Spoon, a comic work of historical fiction about the California Gold Rush.

"Humor is the oxygen of children's literature. There's a lot of competition for children's time, but even kids who hate to read want to read a funny book." 

- Sid Fleischman

Sid Fleischman - Newbery Award Author, Magician,
Screenwriter, Playwright, Lyricist, & etc. [source]

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.

Paul Fleischman is just as talented and dedicated as his father was, with an amazing list of works - including poetry, YA fiction, picture books, plays, and non-fiction.  I've read his YA fiction book, The Borning Room, and I have to say, he has certainly got a poetic rhythm in his words and writing.

Paul Fleischman [source]

"We grew up knowing that words felt good in the ears and on the tongue, that they were as much fun to play with as toys." 

-Paul Fleischman

One early project the Fleischman family shared was a small, old-fashioned, long-before-there-were-computers home hand printing press. Paul and his sisters made stationary, business cards, and "began learning a language no one else on our block spoke".

The family had a printing press because Sid Fleischman was working on a book about a traveling printer, and parts of the book were absorbed into the household.

Paul recounts: "I had an idyllic childhood ten blocks from the Pacific in Santa Monica, California. My two sisters and I had a big house to roam, one that included a telescope, shortwave radio, and a door that opened onto a wall. We also had a hand printing press and all learned to set type and to read backwards, since that's the way type is arranged in the composing stick..."  [source]

Sounds like Paul was inspired by a lot of JOYFUL NOISE in his family home growing up!

A SPOILED PRINCE AND A BRAVE, ORPHANED RAT CATCHER

Our family's first introduction to Sid Fleischman's The Whipping Boy, an adventure tale set in the 18th Century, was the well-done 1994 televison adaptation, Prince Brat and the Whipping Boy, starring George C. Scott.  One reason it translated so well to television, is that Fleischman also wrote the screenplay. You can find this enjoyable family movie at Amazon on VHS (click HERE to watch the trailer).

Your kids will love the book - it has a non-stop-action plot and interesting characters that make it a great read aloud.  No wonder it was a 1987 Newberry Medal winner!  It's part Prince and the Pauper with some Princess Bride-style humor, and the survival instincts of Aladdin thrown in. (ages 8 and up)

Jemmy, who once made a meager living catching rats in the sewers, is now living in the king's castle as the whipping boy for Prince Horace, commonly referred to by the citizens of the kingdom as "Prince Brat". Whenever the young prince misbehaves or fails his lessons, Jemmy is punished in his place, since it is illegal to spank the heir to the throne.

When the prince decides to run away, he demands that Jemmy accompany him, so the two boys with nothing in common run away together. Once in the woods, Jemmy and Prince Brat are captured by two scoundrels, Hold-Your-Nose Billy and Cutwater. The scoundrels plot to use Jemmy, whom they assume is royalty because he can write, as a hostage to obtain ransom money and jewels from the king.

When the two boys finally escape from the scoundrels' hut (after Prince Brat has double-crossed Jemmy), they find themselves lost in the forest. With the help of Captain Nips, seller of hot potatoes, and Petunia, the dancing bear, the boys finally escape from danger and find their way back to the city.

Back in the city, Prince Brat begins to appreciate Jemmy's abilities, courage, and friendship, and when the two eventually return to the castle, the prince has resolved to be a true friend to Jemmy and quit his spoiled, selfish ways.

Also by Fleischman:  By the Great Horn Spoon, a comic historical fiction novel about the California Gold Rush. (ages 9-12)