In my opinion, this is a good book. My favorite thing about the book is the main character Ben. Ben does not like to talk to anyone because he stutters. At school he avoids reading aloud, and even interacting with other children because he’s embarrassed. “Even at lunch he kept his nose buried in a book so he wouldn’t have to speak to other children. Ben did not like to talk because he stuttered.” I like Ben because I feel like children who stutter can relate to him. Ben’s stuttering has a great impact on his self-esteem. He avoids talking to everyone except his father. While at the junkyard with his dad, Ben meets and falls in love with a dog named Spike. Ben finds the courage to speak up when the owner of the junkyard threatens to take Spike to the pound. Ben asks if he can give him money for the dog instead. When Ben finally spoke, the owner of the junkyard was surprised, but in the end Ben got to take Spike home. Ben is so excited about his new dog; he decides that he will tell everyone in school about him. I also like the illustrations. The illustrations do a great job of supporting the text. There is a part in the book where the owner of the junkyard is staring at Ben with concern, after he says something about Ben not speaking much. The owner’s expression clearly shows the reader that the owner is confused by Ben because he never talks. At the beginning of the book, there is information about stuttering. It tells the reader what stuttering is and is not, and gives information about what you should do if you know someone who stutters. I think that was a great feature to add to the book. It gives the readers who need it extra information. The big idea of this book is not to be ashamed if you stutter. You should not avoid communication with people just because you stutter. ( )

This book shares how stuttering causes embarrasement and low self-esteem for children with this condition.