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jenn_geeks_out 's review for:
Nothing But the Truth
by Avi
I read this quickly so that I could talk about it with students in the class I'm subbing for. It's an excellent choice for middle school literature, and a great jumping off point for conversations about personal responsibility, the complexities of truth, how small disagreements get out of hand, and effective communication to name a few.
Basically, Phillip Malloy hums along to the national anthem in his new homeroom class despite the morning announcement asking for students to stand in silent attention. When his teacher (whom he doesn't really like in the first place and has had misunderstandings with before) asks him to be quiet, he does, grudgingly. But Phillip thinks the rule is insignificant and stupid and so continues to hum. When asked again to stop and be quiet, he refuses and his teacher sends him out of class for being disrespectful. The same thing happens again on a different day. Now he's been sent out twice in a week, admits to breaking a rule (being disrespectful), and chooses to be suspended rather than apologize.
From there, things get blown out of proportion because no one communicates effectively. Philip tells his parents that he got suspended for humming the national anthem, which isn't a lie, exactly, but definitely isn't the whole truth. His parents take up the cause in the name of patriotism and tell a neighbor who's running for school board. Who tells a reporter. Who prints a story. Which gets picked up for national news. Which gets discussed on talk radio shows...and ends with a good and well-respected teacher unable to understand how they got from a minor disciplinary infraction over disrespectful behavior (not following instructions) to being a national scapegoat. All because no one told the whole truth and no one listened; all the characters are forever interrupting each other and no one really gets a word in. Either they were hiding things (like Philip) or found the incident too beneath them to comment (Miss Narwin and other school officials), but the fact remains that the whole truth was never presented even though, arguably, all the things that were said were nothing but the truth.
And in the end, no one gets what they want. Miss Narwin is essentially forced out of teaching. Philip transfers schools to a school without a track team (his one passion). The school board's budget doesn't pass. Ted gets elected to the school board, so I guess he does get what he wants, but he's the only one.
Basically, Phillip Malloy hums along to the national anthem in his new homeroom class despite the morning announcement asking for students to stand in silent attention. When his teacher (whom he doesn't really like in the first place and has had misunderstandings with before) asks him to be quiet, he does, grudgingly. But Phillip thinks the rule is insignificant and stupid and so continues to hum. When asked again to stop and be quiet, he refuses and his teacher sends him out of class for being disrespectful. The same thing happens again on a different day. Now he's been sent out twice in a week, admits to breaking a rule (being disrespectful), and chooses to be suspended rather than apologize.
From there, things get blown out of proportion because no one communicates effectively. Philip tells his parents that he got suspended for humming the national anthem, which isn't a lie, exactly, but definitely isn't the whole truth. His parents take up the cause in the name of patriotism and tell a neighbor who's running for school board. Who tells a reporter. Who prints a story. Which gets picked up for national news. Which gets discussed on talk radio shows...and ends with a good and well-respected teacher unable to understand how they got from a minor disciplinary infraction over disrespectful behavior (not following instructions) to being a national scapegoat. All because no one told the whole truth and no one listened; all the characters are forever interrupting each other and no one really gets a word in. Either they were hiding things (like Philip) or found the incident too beneath them to comment (Miss Narwin and other school officials), but the fact remains that the whole truth was never presented even though, arguably, all the things that were said were nothing but the truth.
And in the end, no one gets what they want. Miss Narwin is essentially forced out of teaching. Philip transfers schools to a school without a track team (his one passion). The school board's budget doesn't pass. Ted gets elected to the school board, so I guess he does get what he wants, but he's the only one.