A 2014 Newbery Honor Book! One summer changes the world for a boy who stutters.
VINCE VAWTER, a native of Memphis, retired after a 40-year career in newspapers, most recently as the president and pubisher of the Evansville Courier & Press in Indiana. Paperboy is his first novel.
Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, March 18, 2013:
“[A] tense, memorable story.”
Starred Review, Booklist, April 15, 2013:
“The well-crafted characters, the hot Southern summer, and the
coming-of-age events are reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird… This
paper boy is a fighter and his hope fortifies and satisfies in
equal measure.”
"An unforgettable boy and his unforgettable story. I loved it."—Rob
Buyea, author of Because of Mr. Terupt and Mr. Terupt Falls
Again
"Paperboy offers a penetrating look at both the mystery and the
daily frustrations of stuttering. People of all ages will
appreciate this positive and universal story as I did, but it will
be particularly meaningful to anyone who has ever struggled with
stuttering."—Jane Fraser, president of The Stuttering Foundation of
America
"[A] compelling first-person narrative." —The Washington Post
"A memorable coming-of-age novel." —School Library Journal
“In a compelling climax, he, still stuttering, proudly announces
his real name; the moment is as eloquent as his story.” —The Horn
Book
Gr 6-9-After an overthrown baseball busts his best friend's lip, 11-year-old Victor Vollmer takes over the boy's paper route. This is a particularly daunting task for the able-armed Victor, as he has a prominent stutter that embarrasses him and causes him to generally withdraw from the world. Through the paper route he meets a number of people, gains a much-needed sense of self and community, and has a life-threatening showdown with a local cart man. The story follows the boy's 1959 Memphis summer with a slow but satisfying pace that builds to a storm of violence. The first-person narrative is told in small, powerful block paragraphs without commas, which the stuttering narrator loathes. Vawter portrays a protagonist so true to a disability that one cannot help but empathize with the difficult world of a stutterer. Yet, Victor's story has much broader appeal as the boy begins to mature and redefine his relationship with his parents, think about his aspirations for the future, and explore his budding spirituality. The deliberate pacing and unique narration make Paperboy a memorable coming-of-age novel.-Devin Burritt, Wells Public Library, ME (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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