 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel
- By Avi
- Genre: Coming of Age
Common Sense Media says
Depicts high school with devastating accuracy.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this book depicts high school life with devastating accuracy, and uses an unusual, intriguing format. Teenagers easily understand the situation, recognize the characters, and enjoy the book -- even when it's required.
What's the story?
Philip Malloy, a freshman, causes a disturbance at school by humming the National Anthem to annoy his teacher -- and the minor incident turns into a national scandal when the teacher is accused of being unpatriotic. The tale is told through a series of journal entries, letters, and memos.
Is it any good?
Readers who pick up this book will be struck first by the unusual format; Avi calls this book "a documentary novel." It consists of a collection of memos, dialogues, diary entries, newspaper articles, letters, and transcripts of speeches and radio shows. Avi lets readers make their own judgments about what happens, but only the reader knows the whole story. Philip's fellow students easily figure out what really happens, and taunt him, punishing him more than the school authorities can.
Yet branding Philip as the only dishonest character won't work. Philip's parents go along with his lies to support him and look patriotic, instead of finding out what their son really needs. Because so few want to find the truth, Miss Narwin loses her career and Philip loses his friends and his dream. He's finally forced to tell the truth in the devastating last line of the book.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the effects of twisting the truth.
Many characters distort and disregard the truth to protect their own
interests.Have you seen this happen in your life?
What happened?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
Best Book
I absolutely love this book. I read it all in one day because I couldnt but it done. I highly recommend it.
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AGE
dont read waste of time!
This book is so boring dont read it!
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AGE
Good for tweens.
The way it's written is sort of cunfusing, plus the ending will make you completely wish you hadn't read it.
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AGE
Good message, boring plot
This book is about being responsible for your actions. It shows how one small thing can lead to a nation-wide scandal. The book sends out a very positive message, but, personally, I thought it was extremely boring. The plot wasn't engrossing, the only reason I read ahead was to see if it got better. The student was very disrespectful toward the teacher and literature in general. Also, I thought that the idea of the book was genius, but the way it was expressed seemed stupid to me - I mean, all this because a boy was singing to the national anthem? Seems pathetic to me. Now, Avi is a great author, but I'd say this is far from his best book. I wouldn't recommend it if you were looking for an interesting book to read.
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AGE
Not the best book i ever read
i am an 8th grader and it was an okay book. it wasnt the best and the ending was really dumb but it was kin of funny. there are a few swear words and the student isnt very respectful
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AGE
Spot-On, Insightful, and Brilliantly Written
Wow. That's all I can think to say. The book couldn't have ended with a better line, changing the entire rest of the novel for you on the spot. I also appreciate the way that the book is written, almost like Phillip's file. It consists of memos, conversations, and diary entries that give you the whole story of Philip's actions, the story that he himself can't even fully get. Philip Malloy is a bright kid, but he obviously has some sort of a disdain for literature. So, whil singing along to the national anthem one morning, his english teacher, Miss Narwin, sends him to the principal's office. Philip swears she has a grudge against him, and things elevate from there. Was Philip simply trying to be patriotic? Or was he intentionally pushing Ms. Narwin' buttons? Or was the case something completely different, something so simple, yet something to hide...
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AGE
Nothing But The Truth: Nothing But The Worst Book Ever!
Although I am still young, I have read many pieces of great literature (The Oddessey, The Jungle, Animal Farm, and much more). This is not one of them. The characters are shallow, stupid, and corrupt. Maybe if you were eight you would like this book. However, I am not eight and I highly reccommend that you never ever read this book.
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AGE
i liked it.
this book really shows you independence. and how 2 take up 4 urself.
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AGE
i loved it
my class and i just got done reading this novel today actually (i read a head i couldn't stand the suspense (: it is very age a appropriate
this was by far the best book i have ever read the ending is also grate i would recommend this book for any ela teacher in the us i think the kids would love this book i did (:
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| Author: | Avi |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Coming of Age |
| Publisher: | Avon Books (HarperCollins) |
| Publication date: | January 1, 1991 |
| Number of pages: | 212 |
| Paperback price: | $5.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 9 - 12 |
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