Fun Reads Friday

When you read a lot, even good books fade into a blur. But then, you’ll find a book that stands out. It inspires you to take a risk and believe in yourself.

And so it is with Paperboy by Vince Vawter. It’s won numerous awards, including the Newberry Honor. Even though I read it several years ago, the plot and characters remain vivid in my memory. Why? Because Victor Vollmer the Third—an eleven-year-old boy who can’t say his own name or anything without stuttering—encourages the reader see ability before disability.

Victor agrees to help out his friend and take his paper route for the month of July. Delivering the papers is easy. But in order to collect the money for the papers, he must stutter and struggle to speak to strangers. The reader cringes with Victor’s pain and embarrassment. However, the paperboy faces more than his own insecurity with speaking. A stolen knife pushes Victor into trouble with a violent and homeless “junk man.”

The setting is Memphis, Tennessee in 1959 when the South was segregated. Paperboy reminds me of To Kill a Mockingbird. Both books revolve around characters who live in a culture of prejudice, and they rise above it. Victor’s best friend is Mam, a black woman and the family’s housekeeper. She directs and challenges Victor to press past setbacks and obstacles. Their friendship is a genuine give-and-take relationship. She supports Victor, and he saves her life.

This coming-of-age novel is shelved in the Young Adult section in my library, but it’s a story that spans ages. Upper middle grade and adult readers will enjoy this book. If you’re a parent or teacher looking for a book with tension and action that appeals to boys, check out Paperboy.

What fiction character do you admire who struggled with a disability?

Happy Reading!

Gretchen Carlson gretchen-carlson.com