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    Prisoner 88
    Prisoner 88
    Prisoner 88
    Audiobook3 hours

    Prisoner 88

    Written by Leah Pileggi

    Narrated by Tom Picasso

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Based on a true story, Prisoner 88 is the story of ten-year-old Jake, sent to the Old Idaho Penitentiary in 1885 to serve a five-year sentence for manslaughter. Issues of racism, justice, literacy, and frontier life inform James s story, with a compelling first-person voice that instantly transports the reader to the 19th-century American West.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateDec 20, 2013
    ISBN9781490601328
    Prisoner 88

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    Reviews for Prisoner 88

    4/5

    44 ratings16 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      Not a bad read. The author did a nice job weaving different storylines into the plot, and the story moved along at a decent pace. I didn't like the ending, however. I wasn't necessarily looking for a happily-ever-after ending, but I didn't feel like Jake was complete or even on the right path by the end. His foster family seems to be using him for work, and, of course, I wanted him to end up in the loving home he never had before. I'm wondering if perhaps there will be a sequel?
    • 4/5
      Some of my favorite books are written from a child's point of view. I was stunned that a real 10 year old boy was sentenced to prison and I believe the author did a very good job imagining what life could have been like for him. It's too bad there's such little information available about the real boy. The photo of some of the actual prison cells that was shown in the back of the book chilled me.
    • 4/5
      Jake is ten years old, sentenced to five years in prison for killing a man he barely remembers shooting in the first place. Contradictory to popular belief, Jake actually doesn't have such a bad time in prison. In the penitentiary, he makes connections with people and becomes friends with does who do not wish to beat him up. He even gets a job which he enjoys very much. And surprisingly, he receives more foods in jail than he ever did living alone with his father.However, what I like most about this book is it's realness. It doesn't aim to teach a lesson. It simply tells a story. It reminds of a book called Go Ask Alice. It also reminds me of a book called Roots in the way the author bases the story of very little information to make a whole novel. Although Prisoner 88 was very loosely based off a real story, it felt real to me.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      I read this book as a possible addition to my school library. The cursing in the first chapter made me wonder if it would be worth the fight to keep it in the library. After reading the book, I decided it was but I don't understand the need for it...and sometimes there is a need, like in THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS where it showed how her language and actions improved as she found happiness. Another instance is HARRIS AND ME, where Harris' foul language helped define him as a character. But in this book, the cursing just seemed to stop. Based on a actual event, the imprisonment of an 10-year old boy in 1885. Confined to the Idaho Penitentiary, Prisoner 88, Jake has excellent insights into people and their characteristics. Excellent book.
    • 4/5
      Pileggi does an excellent job bringing to life the fictional account of a child prisoner in the territories. Based on a real child imprisoned at the age of 10 for manslaughter, this story reflects much of the culture, politics, and injustices served to those in the west during this time period. The story is written in such a way that makes it accessible to the upper-elementary age set. Pileggi helps bridge the connections between Jake and his world and the reader. From a teaching perspective, there are many ways to tie-in math, science, and language arts as well as music. This book lends itself nicely to historical fiction classroom units. It's a fun read that will stimulate conversation.
    • 4/5
      Very nice story! I read this just after I saw Les Miserables, and this books was literally worlds apart from Les Mis! I was amazed at how the author could present this child's incarceration humorous, but she did. I really like how the friendships developed through the book. I will share this with some of my friends in middle school.
    • 3/5
      Prisoner 88 is a story based on true events that happened in 1880s Idaho territory. 10-year-old Jake is sentenced to 5 years in prison for the shooting of a man (more about which the reader learns in due course). In prison he makes friends with some other inmates, and comes to feel he's finally found a home among these hard men. He is forced to become a man quickly and make tough decisions. There's a semi-satisfying ending but hardly anything hopeful. I think what made this book most difficult to read was the language. It's told from the perspective of an uneducated young farm boy who seems complacent with his fate, so it's a bit frustrating to navigate at times. Perhaps a young audience will enjoy it as a classroom read-together or librarian selection but it's hard to imagine many picking it out to read on their own. Unfortunately, the back-cover blurb gives away the entire plot.
    • 4/5
      This book is a well-written piece of historical fiction for young readers. This is is a story of a 10-year-old boy,Jake, in the Idaho territory in 1885. He, unfortunately, shoots a man in a saloon where his father had been drinking. He is found guilty of murder and is sentenced to 5 years in prison. In a prison for adult males he finds himself a home. He is happy and surprised to be fed every day. He also gets a job assignment on a pig farm which he regards highly. The story winds up nicely. I don't want t give away too much of the story. Characters are well-drawn and relatable. I enjoyed reading this book. Now my 10-year-old son is enjoying it. He likes it so well he labeled it with his name and took it to school. There can't be a better endorsement.
    • 3/5
      Not a bad read. The author did a nice job weaving different storylines into the plot, and the story moved along at a decent pace. I didn't like the ending, however. I wasn't necessarily looking for a happily-ever-after ending, but I didn't feel like Jake was complete or even on the right path by the end. His foster family seems to be using him for work, and, of course, I wanted him to end up in the loving home he never had before. I'm wondering if perhaps there will be a sequel?
    • 4/5
      "Based on a true story" is so banal a phrase now from motion pictures and television that it almost seems ridiculous to use, but this children's novel which is based on the historical fact that a 10-year was sentenced to prison in the not-that-distant American past is an excellent read for its projected age level. It's "as told by" narrator is Jake, the boy who finds himself in a prison where even the warden and guards cannot believe their prisoner number 88 is a small ten-year old boy. His survival is due to that disbelief as much as it is to Jake's own moxie. A good read for the elementary level it is aimed for, it is worth the ride.
    • 4/5
      Jake is ten years old, sentenced to five years in prison for killing a man he barely remembers shooting in the first place. Contradictory to popular belief, Jake actually doesn't have such a bad time in prison. In the penitentiary, he makes connections with people and becomes friends with does who do not wish to beat him up. He even gets a job which he enjoys very much. And surprisingly, he receives more foods in jail than he ever did living alone with his father.However, what I like most about this book is it's realness. It doesn't aim to teach a lesson. It simply tells a story. It reminds of a book called Go Ask Alice. It also reminds me of a book called Roots in the way the author bases the story of very little information to make a whole novel. Although Prisoner 88 was very loosely based off a real story, it felt real to me.
    • 4/5
      Jake is 10-years old, sentenced to prison for a term of 5 years. It is 1885 in the (then) Idaho Territory. He shot a man in an attempt to defend his father but his inept court-appointed lawyer failed to discover this much less offer this in Jake's defense.In prison, his quick temper got him into trouble until the warden assigned him to work at a pig farm. There he learned how hard work and this, along with good food, gave him a new outlook. The warden also directed a Mormon man, in for polygamy, to teach Jake how to read and write.This account is based on a true character that was imprisoned at the age of 10 in the late 19th century. The author created most of Jake's prison experiences. The story is followed by author's notes about the real boy.This was a fun story told in the voice of an uneducated young man who amazingly found a better life in a terrible place.
    • 4/5
      This is a good historical fiction book for younger readers. Jake Evans is convicted of manslaughter at age ten. He is sent to the Idaho Territorial Penitentiary to serve his 5 year sentence. But the prison is not equipt to handle having such a young inmate. Jake meets a variety of characters during his incarceration and he learns how to survive in the prison setting. But he also is allowed to take a job, and have a couple more privledges than most of the other inmates, including having his own pet. These types of fringe benefits also breed irritation with the other inmates so Jake has another obstacle to overcome. He must figure out how to survive, and be viewed as not a threat from either inmate or guard, so he can last out his 5 years. The allows for you to think about what life was like for this boy and really allows you to get inside his head.
    • 3/5
      Interesting debut novel about a ten-year-old boy sentenced to 5 years in prison for manslaughter in late 19th century Idaho. Based on actual events. Good period details.
    • 5/5
      A ten-year old boy was actually convicted of manslaughter in Idaho in the late 1800s and was sent to the Idaho penitentiary with adult prisoners. This book takes the scant facts about this boy's experiences and fictionalizes them for readers aged 10-13, or if I was classifying it 10-99+. A sad and yet delightful story told of an abandoned boy who is doing what he can to make it in a very harsh world, and the few adults he meets a long the way, some of whom are helpful, some not . Jake is naturally angry at his circumstances but a few adults around him seem to be able to understand and yet guide him towards maturity and education while he thrives. It is not a sweet story, and the ending is not a "happily ever after" but it is a very satisfying story, well told by a competent author. I believe this is her first book and I hope she knows to be very proud of it.Recommended highly for kids of all ages.