Common Sense Media Review
By Darienne Stewart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming tale of writers' childhood friendship inspires.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Tru, 7, and Nelle, 6, first encounter each other on a summer day in Monroeville, Alabama. He's fussy, she's bold, and they're both precocious. They swiftly discover a shared love for books, particularly the mysteries of Sherlock Holmes. The friends wish to have a mystery of their own to solve, and soon one materializes: a couple of broken windows, mysterious references to snakes, and a trail of pecans. Investigating an honest-to-goodness mystery is great fun, at first, but the friends soon run into sinister goings-on. Their adventures together sow the seeds for the stories they'll become known for as adults.
Is It Any Good?
For fans of Harper Lee and Truman Capote, reading this lively yarn is like visiting friends -- and for newcomers, it's a magical way to meet two writers whose friendship (and rivalry) are legend. Although it's a fictionalized account of Lee and Capote's formative years, TRU & NELLE leans heavily on the authors' published work and tales of their childhood. Author G. Neri weaves in a small-town mystery and tucks in six short stories as if they're written by young Nelle and Tru, with a goal to "capture the poetic truths of a moment in time." It's an engaging snapshot, albeit taken with a somewhat soft-focus, nostalgic lens. This is a perfect summer read to inspire kids to go outside and explore and turn those adventures into stories.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the give and take of friendship. How do Tru and Nelle influence each other? Do you have any friendships like theirs?
How does this story change the way you view stories written by Harper and Capote?
The story is a nostalgic look at how Nelle and Tru spent their days as young children. Are your own summer experiences with friends similar or different?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Book Characters , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HMH Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : March 1, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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