The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

This is a story about a prince and his whipping boy.  The whipping boy takes advantage of living in the castle with the prince and learns as much as he can, receiving a "free" education.  The prince takes advantage of his position to get out of anything he doesn't want to do, like learning.  One day the prince runs away and takes the whipping boy with him.  If it weren't for the whipping boy, the prince would have died on this journey.  I thought it was an enjoyable book to read.

Pope Joan by Donna W. Cross

This was a very interesting historical fiction novel.  There were some very disturbing scenes that are not for the faint of heart.  It takes place during a time when it was okay to beat your wife and children.  What you did in your home was no one's business but your own.  It was also the time of misconceptions like how to tell someone was a witch by throwing them into a river and such.  I liked the historical knowledge I gained reading this book but I got very emotional and upset about how people were treated back then.  The concept of a female pope is also intriguing.