Ode to Grapefruit

ebook How James Earl Jones Found His Voice

By Kari Lavelle

cover image of Ode to Grapefruit

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Before legendary actor James Earl Jones was recognized for his memorable, smooth voice, he was just James—a stutterer who stopped speaking for eight years as a child...and ultimately found his voice through poetry.
A National Council of Teachers of English Honor Book

Before there was Mufasa...Before there was Darth Vader... There was a young boy names James Earl Jones, who spoke with a stutter and dreaded having to talk in class. 
Whenever James tried to voice his thoughts, his words got stuck in his throat. But James figured out a solution for his shame: if he didn't speak, he wouldn't stutter. 
And so he was silent...until he wrote his own poem, Ode to Grapefruit, and found a love for poetry. 
Lyrical text, stunning art, and compelling backmatter about stuttering pair together for a remarkable picture book about how a boy who refused to speak for eight years learned to manage his stutter through poetry—and grew up to become an EGOT-winning performer with a voice few could forget.
Ode to Grapefruit