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2.98 AVERAGE
2.98 AVERAGE
The kid annoys me and the plot doesn't really change through out the book. It's repetitive. However there is nice poetic justice at the end.
I don't know if it was just because we read this WAYYYYYYY too slowly in LA but I found this book kinda boring. Nothing I'd read on my own. Why did my LA teacher pick THIS as our book? I wish my mom was my LA teacher........
Nothing but the Truth is a subversive little Young Adult novel that takes on educational hypocrisy, personal accountability, and freedom of speech. 9th grade Phillip Malloy, banned from the track team for his poor grade in English, decides to get booted from class in order to transfer to another teacher and improve his grade. Defying the school's rule of respectful silence during the morning playing of "The Star Spangled Banner," Phillip hums along, only to find himself suspended from school for disruptive behavior. What follows is a national firestorm, with Phillip being held aloft as a martyr for free speech, and his teacher, Miss Narwin, accused of anti-patriotism.
Writer Avi weaves together multiple genres, incorporating memos, letters, interview transcripts, dialogue, and journal entries to provide the reader with a multi-faceted, Rashomon-like version of the story, and by the end, he has somehow managed to convince us that everyone involved in the scandal is simultaneously guilty and innocent. It's a subtle, nuanced, sophisticated tale that doesn't have an easy – or clear – moral, and which gracefully and convincingly transcends its Young Adult label.
Writer Avi weaves together multiple genres, incorporating memos, letters, interview transcripts, dialogue, and journal entries to provide the reader with a multi-faceted, Rashomon-like version of the story, and by the end, he has somehow managed to convince us that everyone involved in the scandal is simultaneously guilty and innocent. It's a subtle, nuanced, sophisticated tale that doesn't have an easy – or clear – moral, and which gracefully and convincingly transcends its Young Adult label.
I remember reading this book my first year of high school and being confused by its ambiguous ending, but liking the style - I should read it again.
Sixth grade required reading.
A lot of kids in my class hated this book, but it's an interesting study of student rights and teacher's points of view. Also an interesting look at changes in discipline over time. However, these are not necessarily themes that a sixth grader can extract.
A lot of kids in my class hated this book, but it's an interesting study of student rights and teacher's points of view. Also an interesting look at changes in discipline over time. However, these are not necessarily themes that a sixth grader can extract.
It was a bit confusing because it was told from multiple perspectives, so you don't really know "who's right" at the end of the story. But it is kind of interesting, the idea that people who have experienced one same moment, might have a different story for what happened because of their perspective.
I'm working on preparing a multigenre writing project for my English classes, and this was one of the recommended books written in a multigenre fashion.
Scary truth revealed about human nature and how we can destroy the careers/lives of others with rumors, gossip, and overreaction to sensationalized issues.
For teachers/parents: This novel is excellent for 8th grade, but only for students who really get satire & irony. If students only think literally, this book could pose a serious problem.
Update, 2010. I have been unsuccessful in matching this book with any 8th grade students. I have not used it as a teaching tool, for the reason specified above, but when I've given the book to a bright, high-level reader, 3 times, they didn't "get it". I've given up. They all end up reading this and just not understanding the whole point. They think the boy's rights were violated....is 8th grade too young, or what? I just found a "Novel Ties" book for teachers to go with this book. It says it's for 5th grade!!!! Come on! Either that's craziness, or younger children are more capable of getting it. I'll have to try it with my son next year, I guess. I crave a discussion about this book!
For teachers/parents: This novel is excellent for 8th grade, but only for students who really get satire & irony. If students only think literally, this book could pose a serious problem.
Update, 2010. I have been unsuccessful in matching this book with any 8th grade students. I have not used it as a teaching tool, for the reason specified above, but when I've given the book to a bright, high-level reader, 3 times, they didn't "get it". I've given up. They all end up reading this and just not understanding the whole point. They think the boy's rights were violated....is 8th grade too young, or what? I just found a "Novel Ties" book for teachers to go with this book. It says it's for 5th grade!!!! Come on! Either that's craziness, or younger children are more capable of getting it. I'll have to try it with my son next year, I guess. I crave a discussion about this book!
Let me say first that I am a teacher. Secondly, this book aggravates me. And I think the reason this book gets under my skin so much is because
Avi has created a story that I can believe. To my mind, that's good writing.
I generally do not like realistic fiction, but this is a story I come back to again and again. I honestly can't say I am glad it is part of the curriculum at my school, as I fear that it's too easy for students to miss the point of this book - up until the penultimate sentence, it seems like the teenager at the center of this book "wins", while every adult around him "loses". The final sentence of this book shows that, in fact, EVERY character in this book "loses", but I worry that many students won't catch that fact. In such a case, students may be left with the impression that doing whatever you have to do to try to make yourself happy, and paying zero attention to how your actions affect others, is a good life strategy.
I have a lot of philosophical problems with this book. I am an optimist, and I tend to like stories where the "good guys" win and the "bad guys" get what they deserve; in this story, that's not how things go down. Granted, that is in part because there are very few clear lines between the "good guys" and the "bad guys" - and I think that's part of the point. In real life, most people think they are doing the right thing. That's one of the things I really like about teaching this novel - this story makes it pretty clear that sometimes doing what you think is the "right" thing is not actually the "right" thing at all, and that it's important to try to find out all the information and perspectives involved in a conflict before weighing in with an opinion.
I'm rambling a bit here, both because I do not want to give away any plot points, and because this book is "muddy" - there are no bright lines or easy answers to be found in this story. I think that's extremely important, as it can help students foster their own critical thinking skills; but it also worries me, as I fear they might miss the overall message, even with guidance and discussion.
Avi has created a story that I can believe. To my mind, that's good writing.
I generally do not like realistic fiction, but this is a story I come back to again and again. I honestly can't say I am glad it is part of the curriculum at my school, as I fear that it's too easy for students to miss the point of this book - up until the penultimate sentence, it seems like the teenager at the center of this book "wins", while every adult around him "loses". The final sentence of this book shows that, in fact, EVERY character in this book "loses", but I worry that many students won't catch that fact. In such a case, students may be left with the impression that doing whatever you have to do to try to make yourself happy, and paying zero attention to how your actions affect others, is a good life strategy.
I have a lot of philosophical problems with this book. I am an optimist, and I tend to like stories where the "good guys" win and the "bad guys" get what they deserve; in this story, that's not how things go down. Granted, that is in part because there are very few clear lines between the "good guys" and the "bad guys" - and I think that's part of the point. In real life, most people think they are doing the right thing. That's one of the things I really like about teaching this novel - this story makes it pretty clear that sometimes doing what you think is the "right" thing is not actually the "right" thing at all, and that it's important to try to find out all the information and perspectives involved in a conflict before weighing in with an opinion.
I'm rambling a bit here, both because I do not want to give away any plot points, and because this book is "muddy" - there are no bright lines or easy answers to be found in this story. I think that's extremely important, as it can help students foster their own critical thinking skills; but it also worries me, as I fear they might miss the overall message, even with guidance and discussion.