Nothing but the Truth

In a series of overreactions and escalating events, the documentary style novel of Nothing but the Truth tells the tale of Phillip, who was suspended for humming the national anthem; Miss Narwin, the teacher directly involved; and the effects of Phillip's story on the town and, as it escalates, the nation. As the title implies, the subject of the novel is the truth, and how different people may have different truths for themselves. 


I was a little hesitant in starting this novel, especially after I didn't particularly care for the last Avi novel I read, Don't You Know There's a War On?, but I really liked the twist at the end. At first I was all, "Oh, of course Ammon's teacher had them read a book about how a naughty student can ruin a teacher's life." But now I see the real reason she had them read it. I really liked Nothing but the Truth and the lesson it teaches. 


Read on! 

Don't You Know There's a War On?

Avi is a pretty renowned writer, ya know? So I had some pretty high expectations for this novel. It didn't really live up to them. Or maybe I'm too far removed at this point. I haven't read Avi in a long time; I'm much older and my reading skills are much higher. But I didn't really like it. 

Don't You Know There's A War On? is about a young boy whose father is at war, same as most of the other students in his class. This novel shows how the war changed the lives of everyone, including children. And I really think that was the purpose. So maybe I just need to read this book with the recommended demographic to understand it better.