I saw this book mentioned in various places and decided it
was finally time for me to read it. I found a copy online through my public
library.
Today’s Pick: Paperboy
by Vince Vawter
Delacorte Press, 2013
From Random House:
An 11-year-old
boy living in Memphis in 1959 throws the meanest fastball in town, but talking
is a whole different ball game. He can barely say a word without stuttering,
not even his own name. So when he takes over his best friend's paper route for
the month of July, he knows he'll be forced to communicate with the different
customers, including a housewife who drinks too much and a retired merchant
marine who seems to know just about everything.
The paper route poses challenges, but it's a run-in with the neighborhood junkman, a bully and thief, that stirs up real trouble--and puts the boy's life, as well as that of his family's devoted housekeeper, in danger.
The paper route poses challenges, but it's a run-in with the neighborhood junkman, a bully and thief, that stirs up real trouble--and puts the boy's life, as well as that of his family's devoted housekeeper, in danger.
My
Take:
I’m not surprised that this book was a Newbery Honor book, because
it really stood out from other middle grade novels I’ve read. The writing style
and voice were unique and the characters came to life with all the realistic
details of the late 1950’s.
From a writer’s perspective, the opening line really drew me
in. It’s a great one to think about if you are working on getting yours right.
This story also has a very distinctive voice for the first person narrator. It’s
worth studying to see how word choice and phrasing help to create his voice. The
narrator tells us in chapter 1 that he hates commas and leaves them out of his
typing whenever he can, so that contributes to the distinctive writing style.
Opening Line:
“I’m typing about the stabbing for a good reason. I can’t
talk.”
Quotes:
“For some reason saying my name was the hardest thing of all for me to do.”
“Streets are like friends that I don’t have to talk to.”
“All the grown-ups around me were making things hard for me all at once like they had gotten together and planned it.”
Other Info:
Vince Vawter is
a retired newspaper editor who lives on a farm in Louisville, Tenn.
This is his
first published children’s book.
I was so
interested to read the author’s note in the back of the book that explains how
Vince has a stutter and how he learned to overcome it. No wonder the book and main
character seemed so realistic!
In an interview with Vince Vawter at RandomActsofReading, he gives this advice to writers: “Don’t worry about
inspiration. You will write when you just can’t stand it anymore.”
For more, visit Vince Vawter’s website.
