Paperboy by Vince Vawter
Vawter, V. (2014). Paperboy. Random House USA Inc. ISBN 9780307931511
Victor Vollmer (aka Little Man) is 11 years old. Being 11 years old is tough enough, and life isn't getting any easier with Little Man's stutter. Being the good friend that he is, Little Man decides to take over his best friend's paper route for a month while his friend is gone, meaning he's about to take up the challenge of having to interact with others while being a youth with a stutter in the 1950s for an entire month.
Paperboy is a semi-autobiographical story about the author's life, Vince Vawter. Vince Vawter does have a stutter in real life, and in his interview with The Stuttering Foundation (found here), Vince discusses how his stutter was never talked about with his family but wishes it was. Being that Vince has lived and continues to live with a stutter perfectly encapsulates Little Man's struggles in Paperboy. Being that I have no experience with having a stutter, it was eye-opening to see how Little Man attempts to overcome the challenge of saying specific words, either by completely changing his meaning or with his internal monologue of describing how certain words use "gentle air" to help him pronounce difficult words.
During Little Man's month-long paper route takeover, Little Man meets a lot of different characters and learns a lot about the real world, like Mrs. Worthington, who seems put together on the outside but, on the inside, uses acholic to cover her sadness. Along with Mrs. Worthington comes Ara T., the homeless African American with less than positive intentions, and Mr. Spiro, the worldly traveler whom Little Man looks to for advice. With the wide array of characters, Little Man learns a valuable life lesson; his stutter does not define him, and while it can make life a bit more difficult at times, everyone has something they struggle with, and Little Man's just so happens to be his stutter.
Set in the 1950s, Paperboy does mention race and racism, as Little Man does have an African American maid, nicknamed "Mam," who is faced with judgment when doing everyday activities such as riding the bus and taking Little Man to the zoo. Despite her race, readers can clearly tell Little Man loves Mam, going as far as to help Mam from being killed at the end of the book by Ara T. Little Man's story is one of personal growth, love, and friendship, all perfectly written in this coming of age novel.
What do readers think of Paperboy? Kirkus Reviews calls it "an engaging and heartfelt presentation that never whitewashed the difficult time and situation as Little Man comes of age." To read more about the inspiration behind Paperboy, feel free to read the rest of Vince Vawter's interview with The Stuttering Foundation here. After reading Paperboy, all readers should read his interview to learn more about Vince's experience that shaped the foundation of Paperboy. If you enjoyed reading Paperboy, you should consider checking out Copyboy, the sequel to Paperboy!
Some Awards for Paperboy:
- A Newbery Honor Award Winner
- ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book
- IRA Children's and Young Adults' Choice
- IRA Teachers' Choice
- Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
- National Parenting Publications Award Honor Book
- BookPage Best Children's Book
- ABC New Voices Pick
- Junior Library Guild Selection
Q&A with Vince Vawter. Stuttering Foundation: A Nonprofit Organization Helping Those Who Stutter. (2020). https://www.stutteringhelp.org/content/qa-vince-vawter
Vawter, V. (2014). Paperboy. Random House USA Inc.
Vawter, V. (2014b, March 12). Paperboy. Kirkus Reviews. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/vince-vawter/paperboy-vawter/
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