Paperboy is a remarkable book that not only details the distinctive struggles of a person with a speech impediment but also the morphing of a young scared little boy into a brave young man. The protagonist, Little Man, is an eleven-year-old boy who speaks with a stutter. Little Man goes through a lot of bullying each day, both from his peers and adults. Most people tease him because of his stutter, except his best friend Rat. The regular bullying has forced Little Man to become withdrawn and terrified of speaking to strangers.
However, Little Man is very brave so when his Rat asks him to cover his route in delivering newspapers while he visits his grandparents, Little man agrees. Delivering the newspapers is easy, but collecting the money will be challenging. When his housekeeper, Mam, asks to accompany him on Friday to collect the money, Little Man refuses. He understands that this is a challenge he has to overcome on his own.
After a few weeks of making deliveries and collecting payment, he encounters yet another challenge; a town bully named Ara T steals his pocket knife. After telling Mam about his encounter with Ara T, she confronts Ara T who beats her up badly. Ara T also breaks into Little Man’s bedroom the next day and steals some of his stuff. Mam goes out to confront Ara T, but this time Little Man secretly follows her. Little Man saves Mam who was almost killed by the bully.
That moment of courage and confidence shapes the rest of his life. Little Man now understands that stuttering is not a problem he should be afraid of anymore. He is no longer scared of answering questions in class nor having a conversation with a stranger. The little boy has transformed into a man.
