The Book of Boy

 

Title- The Book of Boy 
Author/Retold- Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Genre- Newbery Honor
Grade level- 3-7th grade

Boy is an orphan with a hunchback. He has been bullied all of his life because of his hunchback. He has a very special interest with animals and they seem to like him very much. He works on the estate of Sir Jacques as a goatherder. While boy is working the fields one day, he meets a pilgrim named Secundus. He convinces Cook, the mistress in charge of the manor, to lend him on his journey to the next town. Secundus gives Boy a sack to carry. Secundus says if he looks inside, he will kill him. The pilgrim tell Boy about his quest to find seven relics of St. Peter. They go on an adventure to find the rest of the relics. During their Journey, they find out that Boy is an angel. Secundus reveals that he escaped hell and is trying to get back to heaven to see his wife and children. They finally get to their last spot, Rome and when they touch the St. Peter’s tomb, Secundus disappears into thin air. Boy is left to realize if is a boy or an angel. The voice of Secundus tell him that he is indeed both. He then returns to the manor and gives hope Sir Jacques that he will see his family in heaven, because his family died of the Black Death. 

This story is an amazing book of friendship and bravery. It also has some historical references tied into it because of it setting during the time of the Black Death. This is a good representation of what might have happened during that time period. This is a great book for 3-7th grade students. It will entice their imagination with window back into the past.


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