Sometimes the kids who most powerfully help other kids are characters in books. In the case of Vince Vawry's semi-autobiographical
Paperboy, the 11-year-old protagonist struggles with a significant stutter against the backdrop of segregated Memphis in the late '50s. Lauded by both book critics who compare it to
To Kill a Mockingbird and by disability groups like the
Stuttering Foundation of America, this would make an especially great Christmas gift for middle schoolers who stutter. Or a great read-aloud choice for teachers with a student who does.
