Paperboy by Vince Vawter

This was beautifully written and palpably sad. Ms Yingling Reads

Carefully crafted language, authenticity of setting and quirky characters that ring fully true all combine to make this a worthwhile read. Kirkus

Have you ever read a book where you kept anticipating dreadful events, you gasped, turned the page and then that event didn't happen but instead a few pages later the author slammed you up against a wall with something even worse? I started Paperboy late in the afternoon and read a few chapters, then read a few more at midnight and then woke up at 3am and read this book right through to the end. All the while I was holding my breath because I was so worried about 'Little Man'.

It seems amazing when I think about it but in over 32 years as a Teacher-Librarian I never had a student who stuttered but I did work with one teacher (in hindsight I think about his bravery to be a teacher and face a group of ten year olds every day) and knew a young boy when I was a teenager. As humans there are some hard things in life that we have to navigate. Sensory impairment such as hearing loss, vision loss, epilepsy, and other disabilities that can make life so complex. I found it heartbreaking to read how much 'Little Man' struggled with his stuttering. In fact the reason we don't know his actual name until the final pages of this book is because his own name is almost impossible to pronounce - it contains the most tricky sounds. 'Little Man' is a highly intelligent young boy and this book and we get to know his story because we can hear his thoughts and read his typewritten words.

His best friend has gone away for a month over summer. 'Little Man' takes over the newspaper delivery job from Art or Rat as he is known. Over the following weeks 'Little Man' meets a variety of characters. My favourite was Mr Spiro who, in contrast with his newspaper delivery boy, uses long complex sentences and shares deep philosophical ideas that come from his extensive reading and huge personal library. He shows a beautiful level of kindness and intelligent interactions with the young boy. On the other hand, the town 'junk man' is a violent individual who you will desperately want 'Little Man' to avoid. When he risks his life twice and has to confront this disgusting man I wanted to shout at 'Little Boy' to run away because I knew he was in enormous danger. You can tell I became very involved in this story.

Adding to the power of this story at the end we discover this book is based on the life of the author. Read this detailed interview. Here are some quotes from the interview:

" ... everything in the book which had to do with stuttering, was factual. I had trouble saying my name, and on more than one occasion, I would pass out because I held my breath too long trying to say my name. If you remember the scene where the boy is in the restaurant with some of his parents’ friends, and he gets embarrassed, and it all just starts coming onto him and he loses his spaghetti all over the table and everybody? That actually happened to me."

"In the past few years, I've been reading an awful lot about the covert stutterer. I should have been the poster boy for covert stuttering. I tried to hide my stutter in every way I could. I would lie about it, I would skip class, I would do anything. I would pretend I was sick; I would do anything not to have to speak in class, or in some social situation. What that did is it held me back from starting on my journey of finding my voice."

"Saying my name was my albatross. At the start of school each year, I would start going into sweats, about the middle of August. School would start the first of September, I'd start worrying about it in August because I knew the teachers would say, "Okay, everybody stand-up, tell us your name. Tell us your brother and sister’s names. What your pet is, and what you did this summer." I'd have rather been whipped 40 lashes than do that."

In terms of an Australian young adult reader this book does contain aspects of US History from the 1960s especially racial discrimination and also a few references to baseball and famous baseball players but these references did not mean anything to me, but my ignorance did not affect the way this story totally engrossed me. Listen to an audio sample of chapter one - Mam is not his mother - she is the hired help - a brave African American lady who I would love to thank for the way she loves and protects 'Little Man'. 

Blurb: Little Man 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’s not exactly looking forward to interacting with the customers. But it’s the neighborhood junkman, a bully and thief, who stirs up real trouble in Little Man’s life.

Awards for Paperboy:

• A Newbery Honor Award Winner
• An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book
• An IRA Children’s and Young Adults’ Choice
• An IRA Teachers’ Choice
• A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
• A National Parenting Publications Award Honor Book
• A BookPage Best Children’s Book
• An ABC New Voices Pick
• A Junior Library Guild Selection
• An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Recording
• An ALA-YALSA Amazing Audiobook
• A Mississippi Magnolia State Award List Selection

On another level this book is also about racial discrimination. Think of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr and also the movie The Help. There are two further books in this series (both are Young Adult or adult titles) and the final one deals with the five days in April 1968 that changed the world - the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Read more here. 

I am working my way through some Newbery winners and honor books from the last 25 years. I was so lucky to spy Paperboy at a recent charity book sale and it only cost AUS$2.

Companion books:

Walking to the bus-rider Blues

Stella by Starlight

The Parker Inheritance

How High the Moon

I also found a list of Middle Grade books that feature stuttering: Say It Out Loud by Allison Varnes; The Shape of Thunder by Jasmine Warga; and Wild oak by C.C. Harrington.

2024 Speech Therapy Book Awards

The Book of the Year Awards are judged by a panel of Certified Practising Speech Pathologists with specific knowledge and skill in children’s language and literacy development. Each nominated book is judged on its appeal to children, interactive quality and ability to assist speech pathologists and parents in facilitating the development of communication and literacy in children.

Watch the awards announcement video. You can see all the category winners here. 

I previously talked about One Little Duck and Ruby's Repair Cafe.

The 2024 winner is Almost a Fish.

I previously talked about Grace and Mr Milligan and Leo and Ralph.

The 2024 winner is Harriet Hound.

I previously talked about Silver Linings; Being Jimmy Baxter; August and Jones.

The 2024 winner is Being Jimmy Baxter.

Highlighting some past winners. Find each title using my search bar. All of these are sure to be in your local or school library.

My Beautiful Voice by Josephy Coelho illustrated by Allison Colpoys

"My heart starts booming, my skin becomes a raging river,

I feel scared and nervous inside. But then.. "

"I feel my voice inside me ... It feels like it wants to be heard."

The terror of public speaking is a genuine feeling for many adults and children. Add to this publicly reading a poem of your own composition and that fear is multiplied many times over. My Beautiful Voice is the story of one boy and the way he overcomes his fears with the help of a wonderful, vivacious, energetic and loving teacher. Miss Floatsam is a force of nature. When our narrator's work is snatched by a young girl in the class "Miss Flotsam gazes at her with eyes that can turn thunder into summer rain."

When you share this book with your class, though, you will need to be prepared for the ending - spoiler alert- we never hear the actual poem that the child has so carefully crafted.  I call this a Harvey Slufenburger moment. Have you read the famous book by John Burningham where we travel with Santa on his long and dangerous journey to the home of Harvey Slufenburger all the way anticipating the wonderful Christmas present? I love the way children always sigh over the words "I wonder what it was". 

With My Beautiful voice though, we do have some hints about the poem and so, after reading this book for the first time, you could go back and gather up some of the possible ideas:

"A flutter of fabric filled with the spice of colour."

"quiet heroes and beautiful unheard songs."

"like her long-lost languages in shut up tombs and finding new accents in rainbow bustling markets."

I highly recommend My Beautiful Voice as a book well worth adding to your Primary school library picture book collection or perhaps you will shelve it (as my copy has been classified) at 361.37 which oddly is a number for social work and specifically volunteers. 

Publisher blurb: Follow a child who is so shy she doesn't speak. With the encouragement of an enchanting and magical teacher, she writes a poem. But a poem is meant to be read aloud! She musters all her courage, stands at the front of the class and shows her classmates that she does have a voice. And her voice is BEAUTIFUL! The perfect way to encourage empathy in young children and show shy children how to feel brave.

Joseph Coelho lives in the UK and from a young boy he wrote poetry: I wrote poems about how I was feeling, poems about life at school, angry poems, sad poems, funny poems and sometimes I’d nervously share those poems in my drama class. Perhaps My Beautiful Voice is partially autobiographical. 

Allison Colpoys lives in Melbourne - so we have another delicious book mystery - How did the pubisher Frances Lincoln (UK) bring these two book creators together.

Sydney Smith nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen by IBBY Canada

Sixty-two candidates from 33 countries have been nominated for the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Here are all the name. You might recognise some:

Argentina: Author María Cristina Ramos; Illustrator Gusti

Australia: Author Margaret Wild; Illustrator Tohby Riddle

Austria: Author Heinz Janisch; Illustrator Linda Wolfsgruber

Belgium: Author Thomas Lavachery; Illustrator Carll Cneut

Brazil: Author Marina Colasanti; Illustrator Nelson Cruz

Canada: Author Angèle Delaunois; Illustrator Sydney Smith

China: Author Jin Bo; Illustrator Xiong Liang

Colombia and Venezuela: Illustrator Ivar Da Coll

Croatia: Illustrator Dubravka Kolanović

Cyprus: Author Anna Kouppanou; Illustrator Dora Oronti

Estonia: Author Andrus Kivirähk; Illustrator Piret Raud

France: Author Marie-Aude Murail; Illustrator Gilles Bachelet

Germany: Author Andreas Steinhöfel; Illustrator Nikolaus Heidelbach

Greece: Author Maria Papayanni; Illustrator Iris Samartzi

Hungary: Author András Dániel; Illustrator László Herbszt

Iran: Author Jamshid Khanian; Illustrator Pejman Rahimizadeh

Italy: Author Roberto Piumini; Illustrator Beatrice Alemagna

Japan: Author Joko Iwase; Illustrator Ryoji Arai

Republic of Korea: Author Yi Hyeon; Illustrator Suzy Lee

Latvia: Illustrator Aleksejs Naumovs

Lebanon: Author Fatima Sharafeddine; Illustrator Sinan Hallak

Lithuania: Illustrator Kestutis Kasparavičius

Netherlands: Author Tonke Dragt; Illustrator Sylvia Weve

Poland: Author Marcin Szczygielski; Illustrator Iwona Chmielewska

Russia: Author Sergey Makhotin; Illustrator Julja Gukova

Slovenia: Author Peter Svetina; Illustrator Damijan Stepančič

Spain: Author Jordi Sierra i Fabra; Illustrator Elena Odriozola

Sweden: Author Annika Thor; Illustrator Anna Bengtsson

Switzerland: Author Franz Hohler; Illustrator Catherine Louis

Turkey: Author Behiç Ak; Illustrator Mustafa Delioğlu

Ukraine: Author Halyna Malyk; Illustrator Kost' Lavro

United Kingdom: Author Marcus Sedgwick; Illustrator David McKee

USA: Author Linda Sue Park; Illustrator Kadir Nelson

In this post I plan to focus on Canadian illustrator Sydney Smith. In a previous post I talked about Footpath or Sidewalk Flowers.

Town is the Sea by Joanne Schwartz illustrated by Sydney Smith (2017) winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2018.

Opening lines: From my house, I can see the sea. It goes like this - house, road, grassy cliff, sea. And town spreads out, this way and that. My father is a miner and he works under the sea, deep down in the coal mines.

Publisher Blurb: Stunning illustrations by Sydney Smith, the award-winning illustrator of Footpath Flowers, show the striking contrast between a sparkling seaside day and the darkness underground where the miners dig. This beautifully understated and haunting story brings a piece of mining history to life. The ever-present ocean and inevitable pattern of life in a mining town will enthral children and move adult readers, as a young boy wakes up to the sound of the sea, visits his grandfather's grave after lunch and comes home to a cosy dinner with his family, but all the while his mind strays to his father digging for coal deep down under the sea.

Reviews:

A quiet book that will stay with readers long after they have closed it. Kirkus Star review 

This is, in short, a magnificent book. The kind that every reader will interpret in a different way. Only the best books can do that. Only the best books are capable. SLJ Elizabeth Bird

The combination of small, private moments and sweeping landscapes complete with shimmering water show off the simple grandeur of the natural environment and the boy’s experiences. Quill and Quire

My thoughts: The art in this book is all about light and dark. I love the way the sunlight shimers on the surface of the sea and the contrast Sydney Smith creates when he shows  us, in four double spreads, the dark beneath the sea where the miners are working. I held my breath through this book. One of my early school libraries was in a coal mining town. It was utterly terrible when a coal mining accident in that town took a father away from two precious children and their beautiful mum. Above ground the light forms shadows, below ground light comes from miner lamps. Above ground the young boy is free to run and play and swing and walk to the shops. Below is danger. When the father arrives home it is a moment of great relief but there is also the thought of tomorrow when his father will work again and the thought of the future when the boy himself will have to enter those deep dark tunnels.

Here are a set of teaching notes from Amnesty International.  Here is an interview where Sydney and Joanne talk about their book.

I Talk like a River by Jordan Scott illustrated by Sydney Smith (2020)

Opening lines: I wake up each morning with the sounds of words all around me.

Publisher blurb: After a day of being unable to speak when asked, and of being stared at, a boy and his father go to the river for some quiet time. "It's just a bad speech day," says Dad. But the boy can't stop thinking about all the eyes watching his lips twisting and twirling. When his father points to the river bubbling, churning, whirling and crashing, the boy finds a way to think about how he speaks. Even the river stutters. Like him. "I talk like a river," he says. An incredibly moving picture book that offers understanding rather than a solution, and which will resonate with all readers, young and old.

Reviews:

Again, Sydney Smith's illustrations do the impossible: They show how the narrator feels about his stutter. NPR

An important and unforgettable offering presented with natural beauty and grace. Horn Book

An astounding articulation of both what it feels like to be different and how to make peace with it. Kirkus Star review

Deft poetic language pairs with the resonant watercolors of Sydney Smith to create a book that is more than a memoir and more than conveying a message. This is pain, turned into art, and written for young children. Incomparable. SLJ Elizabeth Bird

My thoughts: When Elizabeth Bird said teachers and Teacher-Librarians should just read this book to a class with no agenda, no pointing out the message, and especially not mentioning this book is for a particular child - I cheered.  I have such a powerful memory of the day I read The Mouse with the too long Tail to a class. A young boy in the class had been born without fingers on one hand. I didn't connect this book with "Ben" I just read it aloud. At the end, he was sitting right in front of me, this young boy sighed. He had seen so much in this story - a celebration of difference. I hope this book is shared in families and in classes and that the sharing is done slowly. I am certain this book will touch the hearts of many children and adults. 

Listen to this podcast where Sydney and Jordan discuss their book. You can see the art here. Here are a set of teaching notes from the US Publisher.

Sydney Smith is a Canadian children's book illustrator. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. You can follow Sydney on Instagram @sydneydraws.  Here is an interview with Sydney. In the interview Sydney mentions Felix Hoffman. You can see some illustrations by Felix Hoffman here. Take a look at some art here. 

I suppose I take the text seriously these days. I allow myself to get carried away and invest all my time. I understand more about the dynamics between the images and text, visual literacy, pacing, and the role illustrations have in telling a story. I have learned that there are ways of storytelling that I gravitate toward, and that only comes with the experience of taking on different stories and approaching them all differently.

A different dog by Paul Jennings

This is a story of need, and whether dog or human, the importance of finding your own voice and redemption in a world of chaos and cruelty.  Kids Book Review

Well here is a very different book from the much loved Australian author Paul Jennings.  I read my first Paul Jennings story in 1985 - it was published in a little magazine that used to be produced by Puffin called Puffinalia.  One shot toothpaste is a Paul Jennings story I continue to read over thirty years later.

Someone mentioned A different dog. It arrived in our library a couple of months ago and I finally saw it on the shelf and bought it home.

Yes this is a different book.  It has Paul's trademark short sentences and easy reading style but this slim volume (81 pages) has a serious and urgent tone.  This is a poignant story which does not need the humour we usually associate with other books and short stories by Paul Jennings and you need to know this book truly is a gem.

We talk to the students about the concept of 'show don't tell' and in this book Paul Jennings shows he is a master of this technique. As the story opens the boy prepares to enter a running competition.  Without explaining his dire circumstances in so many words we know things are very tough for this boy and his mum.  His bed has collapsed to the floor because they used the wood to keep warm.

"Today I will win some money ... And then mum can buy two beds. ... And we can fix the broken window. And she won't have to work in the orchard in the winter."

He sets off for the race.  A car stops and offers him a lift.  A boy called Skinny Luke leers at him and says "It's talk or walk."  This is our first clue that this boy cannot speak.  He shakes his head and continues on foot.  A van speeds past him and crashes down into a steep gully.  The driver is dead but there is a dog.  The final chapter will utterly astonish you.

With only 82 pages this book would be perfect for a reluctant reader in senior primary and coincidentally these readers were/are the intended audience for all those short stories penned by Paul over many years beginning with his collection Unreal.

I would follow this book with some titles from a very old series called Surfers.  They are not about surfing but are instead about boys who find themselves in difficult and sometimes quite frightening situations where they need to draw on inner resources to survive.  Look for books like Last Bus Robert Swindells, Deep Water by Ann Turnbull and Forbidden Game by Malorie Blackman.  All of these need to be republished.

Some news for readers of this blog :

This is the last book I am able to borrow from my school library but I will continue to blog as I now explore the public library and other school libraries.  This may mean I sometimes talk about books that are not found in our school library but I am sure you will be able to find them somewhere.  I have been so lucky to work in a very well resourced school library and I know I will miss my collection and all the book shopping but my 'need to read' means I will still find all those great books - just in a different place.

I am happy that I found A Different Dog to share for this significant post - it is perfect in so many ways.  Quick to read, Australian, is has an unpredictable plot, ideal for reluctant boys and it felt good to read a book linked to my first library back in 1985 - a perfect circle of experience.

Once again, Jennings proves himself to be a master of engagement from start to finish – and leaves us wanting more.  Reading Time