Want personalized picks that fit your family?
Set preferences to see our top age-appropriate picks for your kids.
Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel
Parents say
Kids say
Searching for streaming and purchasing options ...
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Get it now on
Searching for streaming and purchasing options ...
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
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.
Stay up to date on new reviews.
User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
communication
Wow!
2nd worst book I have ever read
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.
Talk to your kids 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?
Book details
- Author: Avi
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Avon Books (HarperCollins)
- Publication date: January 1, 1991
- Number of pages: 212
For kids who love high school drama
Our editors recommend
Top advice and articles
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.