Prisoner 88

Written by: Leah Pileggi

Genre: Historical fiction

Awards: Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts 2014

Summary: 

10-year-old Jake Evans has been convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years in the Idaho Territorial Penitentiary, the only prison in town. He is surrounded by hardened criminals while learning to navigate childhood in a cell. He makes friends in a guard, the warden, and even some of the prisoners to help him find his way. Though some would hate life in jail, Jake learns to love it; he has people who care for him, a place to sleep, and three meals a day. Jake gets a job on a hog farm, learns to read, and finds surprising comfort in what should be a terrible situation. As he grows up, Jake is faced with tough choices regarding right and wrong, and readers are left to wonder what he will choose. 

Teacher Evaluation:

I think this book would be best for fourth through sixth grade classrooms since it focuses on the experiences of a 10-year-old. Students may understand some of the issues he is having regarding growing up and learning about life. Teachers could use this book for several topics in social studies or history. There are some references to historically relevant songs like "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Camptown Races." Teachers could have students research the lyrics to the songs and discuss the impact they had on American society or how society affected the production of the song. Classes could learn about government proceedings and why a 10-year-old was sent to prison with adults. I also think this book could be used to discuss language variations since Jake's speech is quite unique. I would use this book in a secondary class to help students think about how the language an author uses affects the overall mood of a story.