Leah Pileggi

I think this one was well-written and interesting. The author is friends with the only professor i have this semester who doesn't make me want to slam my head against a desk repeatedly. If you look at the dedication of the book, "Shel" is my prof. She came to our class and she signed my book. Yay!

Anyway, i enjoyed it. It's interesting to imagine what this experience might have been like for a 10-year-old.

Oh, and i also read this one (in addition to "Because of Winn-Dixie") entirely while i was "babysitting" (the child was asleep). I'm pretty excited about reading two entire books in 2.5-3 hours even though they aren't really of an impressive length.

*Review written on October 29, 2014.*… (more)

Teen Reader Reaction: Prisoner 88 is told through the voice of a 10-year-old boy whose struggles and haunting life experiences leave a lasting impression. The author has captured the essence of a young child trying to grow up in a world he does not quite understand while giving the reader a comprehensive understanding of the situation he is in. It is like having two adjacent windows looking into the same world, but seeing two different views of the same place. The story is written in vernacular, making it easy to follow, but readers can see that it is is very complex. Jake is a trusting, inquisitive child, which, in this unconventional setting makes the story more intriguing. This book snaps up readers from the first page because of its viewpoint that is simple, but startlingly revealing. The story ends abruptly, with a few short statements that seem more like a summary than a real conclusion.

I highly recommend Prisoner 88 to middle school students, but it should be appealing to any age group. It is a short piece of historical fiction that kids can easily digest since the language is colloquial and it is not informational to the point which it becomes bland.

Adult Reader Reaction: At first I was taken aback by Jake's poor grammar. That disappeared quickly. Jake's "voice" permeates the story, and I became more interested in his experiences, the people he encountered, and his attitude toward life. I would like to think there is more fact than fiction ... and the story certainly reads that way.

Pros: Jake is an unforgettable character who speaks to readers of all types and ages. He is that rare fictional character whom kids can see as a model on how to live your life.

To read our full review, go to The Reading Tub®.… (more)

Based on the true story of a 10 year old boy sentenced to 5 years for manslaughter to the Idaho State Penitentiary in the 1800s, this sparse and slim novel tells Jake's story with authenticity. The story starts as Jake finds himself on his first train ride ever, riding out to serve his sentence at "the pen". His first impressions are our first impressions, and while he receives some special treatment on account of his age, he is nevertheless locked up and treated like all the other prisoners. Well, almost. He is meets Brother Norton, in the next cell over, who begins to teach Jake how to read. And Jake is given a special assignment to help a local pig farmer with his sows, where he begins to dream of a life out from behind bars. But before he can even begin to imagine a life of freedom, he needs to get to the bottom of his crime, of which the details are foggy to him and whether or not his own father will be waiting for him when he is released.

Told in a vernacular style of the wild, wild West, the story would be a delight to read aloud. Just when youngin's think their own lives are filled with hardships, have them meet Jake, a strong-willed and determined young lad with much to prove, and all the time in the world on his hands.… (more)

Life hasn't been easy for ten year old Jake Evans. There's never enough food on the table, and his father doesn't even care about him. After committing a crime, Jake finds himself locked up in a prison for adult offenders, since juvenile facilities did not exist back in the 1880s. Although being locked up is frightening at first, Jake makes a few friends. One of the men begins to teach him to read, and Jake even gets a job on the outside helping a pig farmer. Little by little the prison becomes Jake's home. As the days turn into months, Jake begins to grow up. He reaches a turning point when he must decide between doing the right thing at personal risk to himself or looking the other way. Jake shares his story simply, and we are left to wonder what ever happened to him.

The Bottom Line: Writing in the voice of a ten year old boy, author Leah Pileggi's debut novel is a very quick and engaging read. The theme of friendship shines through this sad, yet hopeful, story. Prisoner 88 is loosely based around the true account of James Oscar Baker, the real prisoner 88, who was sent to the Idaho Territorial Penitentiary back in 1885 at the age of ten. While there is no information about Baker's daily life in prison, Pileggi does a fantastic job of describing what life might have been like for him in this novel. Teachers looking for a book of historical fiction to read and discuss in class should check out this out. This would be an appropriate choice for kids in grades 4 - 8.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog.… (more)