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protoman21's review against another edition
5.0
What an impressive first novel for Vince Vawter! It is obvious that Vawter himself suffered from stuttering as a child, because he perfectly articulates the feeling of being trapped inside your own body like the narrator here. He is such a likeable kid, but you can tell that most people do not give him a chance just because it takes him longer to say what is on his mind. I loved getting this insight into the mind of a child who must choose every single word so carefully. Even as adults, we all throw words around so carelessly to a point where they stop meaning anything, but this child has such maturity that he is able to select each word with practiced care and precision.
Aside from the stuttering, this is still an excellent book. Mrs. Worthington's character is handled very well. The narrator can see several of the issues that she is struggling with, but he sees them like a child would. Adults reading the novel know exactly what is going on, but children still pick up on the mood and can appreciate that other people who may seem like they have everything put together still have their own demons.
Mr. Spiro is a quirky man who has probably faced many hardships in his life because he is different, but he embraces these differences and doesn't let the outside world change who he is. The way he helps and encourages the narrator is very touching and one of the highlights of the book.
Mam might seem to be a bit stereotypical, but I found her to be a warming presence in the book and an excellent moral compass. Ara T is an frightening character because he sneaks up on you. He doesn't seem so bad at the beginning, and despite Mam's warnings, you don't take him that seriously until later in the book when you realize how scary he is and how much danger the narrator was in all along.
This would have been my pick for the Newbery Award this year! I recommend it to everyone!
Aside from the stuttering, this is still an excellent book. Mrs. Worthington's character is handled very well. The narrator can see several of the issues that she is struggling with, but he sees them like a child would. Adults reading the novel know exactly what is going on, but children still pick up on the mood and can appreciate that other people who may seem like they have everything put together still have their own demons.
Mr. Spiro is a quirky man who has probably faced many hardships in his life because he is different, but he embraces these differences and doesn't let the outside world change who he is. The way he helps and encourages the narrator is very touching and one of the highlights of the book.
Mam might seem to be a bit stereotypical, but I found her to be a warming presence in the book and an excellent moral compass. Ara T is an frightening character because he sneaks up on you. He doesn't seem so bad at the beginning, and despite Mam's warnings, you don't take him that seriously until later in the book when you realize how scary he is and how much danger the narrator was in all along.
This would have been my pick for the Newbery Award this year! I recommend it to everyone!
gmamartha's review against another edition
3.0
I loved reading about this boy. I liked seeing into his head, viewing life from his viewpoint.
mary00's review against another edition
4.0
There were times that I felt that this Newbery Honor book may be tackling too many heavy subjects for the scope of the novel, but in the end it somehow all fit and was wrapped up capably. The narrating voice of the young man with a stuttering problem was so authentic, endearing, and alive. I came to discover in the Author's Note that this book is more memoir than fiction, which explains the genuine feel.
lanica's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the character and the story, but I wonder how much of the 1950's 'feel' is going to be understood by the kids this was aimed towards. It would be great as a read-aloud or a book group. I want to know what the kids think of the situation of a black housekeeper in the household of a rich white kid.
onceuponacarm's review against another edition
3.0
Our protagonist is an 11-year-old stutterer in Memphis, during the summer of 1959. After offering to cover his best friend's paper route for a month, he has to deal with talking to people who don't know him or understand his speech impediment. He meets some interesting characters, including the beautiful, alcoholic, and lonely Mrs. Worthington (who is probably cheating on her husband and maybe also being abused by him); the smart adventurer, Mr. Spiro, who shares wisdom, thoughtful conversations, and a love for learning with the boy; and the local junkman, Ara T, who early on steals a pocket knife and fifty cents, then later a lot more, from him. We don't learn the main character's name until the very end of the story, but he is known as Little Man by his beloved nanny, Mam. This is an interesting memoir-like novel, based largely on the author's childhood according to the author's note. His struggle with stuttering is central to the story, as it greatly impedes his ability to communicate with the outside world. A lot, therefor, happens within his own head. As a result, he sometimes seems wise beyond his years (recognizing the injustice of segregation in a rather modern way, coming to terms independently with discovering that his dad is not really his father, and understanding many of the complexities of human relationships and what it all means). Other times he seems juvenile, especially in his actions.
I previewed this book to consider it for the mock Newbery class I offer for 3rd-5th graders, but did not find it to be distinguished enough to make the cut.
I previewed this book to consider it for the mock Newbery class I offer for 3rd-5th graders, but did not find it to be distinguished enough to make the cut.
startingviolence's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kschmoldt's review against another edition
4.0
A good solid story --- the author says it's more memoir than fiction. Either way, the main character refuses to name himself for the majority of the book due to his profound stutter. As luck would have it, both his first and last names both begin with a troublesome letter. This book is about a simpler time that really doesn't end up being so simple after all. Well written and well executed, it confronts racism as well as speech impediments head on. It is the story of an 11 year old who takes over his best friend's paper route for one month in Memphis in 1959. Highly recommended for interested readers, though I'm not entirely sure if it would please the average 11 year old boy as much as it did me.
angelarwatts's review against another edition
3.0
I was a bit iffy at first but this book... after the last parts and things wrapped up... was quite good.
kelleemoye's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book fascinating. It dealt with
many different topics from stuttering to racism in the South and definitely shows the power of others in helping a young person find his/her voice (and in this book, that is a literal statement). I loved how it was written because although our narrator wasn't very vocal in his life, he loved writing and found his voice through his writing. It is through this art that he is able to tell his story. It is also quite interesting that though he is writing his story, he withholds his name until the very end because he has trouble saying it himself. He is referred to mostly as "Little Man" throughout the book.
But, by far, my favorite thing about this story is all of the characters our narrator gets involved with when he begins his paper route. First is Little Man's first crush, a pretty young wife who likes to drink and who Little Man cannot figure out. Second is a homeless man who bullies Little Man out of some of his possessions and is haunted by his past. Third, and most importantly, is a Merchant Marine who shows Little Man that there is more out there and that he can be whomever he wants to be. It is through these different adults that our narrator really starts to become his own.
In the classroom, this book would be a great discussion start about many different topics. Since it is historical, it gives a different perspective into many different topics including television and racism. Vawter also writes this novel with a great voice and makes interesting choices with punctuation that would be interesting to talk to students about.
Snatch of Text: p. 11 (simile), p. 101-102, p. 108-109 (poetry)
Mentor Text For: Voice, First Person Point of View, Grammar, Simile, Making Predictions, Contractions (p. 30), Poetry (p. 108-109)
Writing Prompts: There are some unexpected players in this young boys life that he would have never thought would affect him the way they did. Think of someone in your life that you thank for helping, influencing, or changing you and write them a thank you letter.
Topics Covered: Candide, Voltaire, Speech Pathology, Baseball, Alcoholism, Anxiety, Infidelity, Genetics, Fathers, Heidegger, Existentialism, Segregation, Linguistics, Language, Race Relations, Faith, History of the Alphabet (p. 64-65), Myths (p. 66), Television (p. 44)
many different topics from stuttering to racism in the South and definitely shows the power of others in helping a young person find his/her voice (and in this book, that is a literal statement). I loved how it was written because although our narrator wasn't very vocal in his life, he loved writing and found his voice through his writing. It is through this art that he is able to tell his story. It is also quite interesting that though he is writing his story, he withholds his name until the very end because he has trouble saying it himself. He is referred to mostly as "Little Man" throughout the book.
But, by far, my favorite thing about this story is all of the characters our narrator gets involved with when he begins his paper route. First is Little Man's first crush, a pretty young wife who likes to drink and who Little Man cannot figure out. Second is a homeless man who bullies Little Man out of some of his possessions and is haunted by his past. Third, and most importantly, is a Merchant Marine who shows Little Man that there is more out there and that he can be whomever he wants to be. It is through these different adults that our narrator really starts to become his own.
In the classroom, this book would be a great discussion start about many different topics. Since it is historical, it gives a different perspective into many different topics including television and racism. Vawter also writes this novel with a great voice and makes interesting choices with punctuation that would be interesting to talk to students about.
Snatch of Text: p. 11 (simile), p. 101-102, p. 108-109 (poetry)
Mentor Text For: Voice, First Person Point of View, Grammar, Simile, Making Predictions, Contractions (p. 30), Poetry (p. 108-109)
Writing Prompts: There are some unexpected players in this young boys life that he would have never thought would affect him the way they did. Think of someone in your life that you thank for helping, influencing, or changing you and write them a thank you letter.
Topics Covered: Candide, Voltaire, Speech Pathology, Baseball, Alcoholism, Anxiety, Infidelity, Genetics, Fathers, Heidegger, Existentialism, Segregation, Linguistics, Language, Race Relations, Faith, History of the Alphabet (p. 64-65), Myths (p. 66), Television (p. 44)
brandypainter's review against another edition
3.0
This is an interesting look into the mind of a child who stutters and how he interacts and thinks of the world around him. The book starts off slow and takes a while to pick up and since it is sort of short that means I didn't engage with the story until almost too late. Also there are no quotation marks for dialogue, and I understand why this was done. It is because it is supposed to be him typing out his story. It still drove me nuts and gave the book a very stream-of-consciousness feel to it despite the plot that does progress step by step. I also felt it resorted to cliches one to many times. This is just not my type of book overall, but it is well written and will have appeal for people who enjoy this sort of thing.