Paperboy

Vawter, Vince. Paperboy. Delacorte BFYR, 2013.

Victor has a stutter, so he's used to people not taking him seriously. He's excited about taking his friend's paper route for him for a month in the summer, but he's nervous about collecting the money at the end of each week. Throughout his route, he ends up meeting a cast of very interesting characters.

This book is fairly slow-moving, so it might be difficult to convince kids to read it, but it would make a great class book or read-aloud book. I listened to it as an audio book during my commute each day and the audio book does a great job at portraying Victor and his stutter without making fun of him. This book also tackles some difficult issues: racism, a kid who is deaf/mute, a woman who is an alcoholic, etc.

Recommended for: tweens, middle grade, classes
Red Flags: alcohol use (by adults), some bullying
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alike Suggestions: The Wednesday Wars