The Robber and Me

Author: Josef Holub

Title: The Robber and Me

Illustrator: none

Genre: Chapter Book

Subgenre: Historical Fiction about Family.

Theme: Being accepted for who you really are.

Primary and secondary characters: Primary- Boniface Schroll and Robber Knapp Secondary- Boniface's Aunt and Uncle, and Christopher.

Award(s) date of publication: Mildred L. Batchelder Award, 1997

Publishing Company: Henry Holt and Company

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: The Robber and Me is a book about an eleven year old boy by the name of Boniface Schroll who goes to live with his aunt and uncle after the death of his parents. He is sent to their village called Graab yet he does not reach his aunt and uncle. Instead, the driver who was paid to take him there ends up leaving Boniface in the woods. The driver tells his before he leaves that there is a robber who lives in the woods and that he should be careful. With no food, no place to keep warm, and no shelter Boniface becomes weak and begins to fall to the grown. All of the sudden he is rescued by the robber himself and taken to his uncle's house. A few days later, there is a huge uproar in the town about a robbery that took place and Robber Knapp is the prime suspect. Yet, Boniface knows that he could not have committed the crime because he was with his when the crime took place. After fighting within himself to remain mute on the situation, Boniface tells about Knapp's whereabouts on the night of the robbery. This story teaches children that things as well as people are not always as they seem. Therefore, one should not make assumptions about others or come to conclusions solely on previous knowledge. This book would tie in nicely with a lesson on acceptance of others and overcoming one's original perception of someone else to discover who they really are.