Nothing but the Truth: A Documentary Novel

In Avi's documentary novel Nothing But the Truth, ninth-grader Phillip Malloy dreams of becoming a professional runner and competing in the Olympics. What seems to stand in his way is his English...

One could argue that the book's abiding theme is the power of lies. We like to think that the truth is more powerful than its opposite, and yet, as the story ably demonstrates, the reverse is quite...

Avi's YA novel Nothing But the Truth focuses on the consequences that unfurl after ninth grader Philip Malloy lies to his father by telling him that he was suspended from school for singing the...

Physically, Phillip Malloy is described as being "a nice-looking boy" by Margaret Narwin. Aside from that, little detail is given about his physical appearance. It is known that he is a star...

Verbal irony is the use of language in a manner that is meant to signify, usually for emphasis, the opposite of what is literally said. Dramatic irony occurs in literature when the true...

It's clear from the get-go that Philip doesn't have much time for Miss Narwin. Everything about her gets on his nerves, from her forbidding demeanor to the "boring" books she insists on teaching....

When looking at ironies in Avi's Nothing but the Truth, one of the first areas to look would be the title itself. The idea of "nothing but the truth" is one of the basic elements of American...

In Avi's Nothing But the Truth, question number four on Philip's Winter Term English exam for Margaret Narwin's class is: What is the significance of Jack London's choice in making Buck, the dog...

In Nothing But the Truth by Avi, Mr. Lunser and Ms. Narwin have very different personalities. Mr. Lunser is a joker. When Philip is in his homeroom, Mr. Lunser makes sarcastic remarks about...

Point of view refers to who is telling a story in a narrative or through what speaker's eyes a reader views a piece of writing. Change in point of view results in change of tone and change of...

In the article published on April 1st, Jennifer Stewart makes multiple misleading statements, many of which could negatively impact the upcoming school board election and budget approval....

The “truth” about the clash between Phillip Malloy and Ms. Narwin in Avi’s novel, Nothing But The Truth depends upon what perspective from which you view it but a significant factor is attitude....

Philip mentions in his journal that Miss Narwin, an older woman who is both his English teacher and homeroom teacher, is "uptight," and he needs to "figure a way to run pass her," meaning, since he...

When reporter Jennifer Stewart calls Superintendant Albert Seymour to find out about the rule forbidding the singing of the national anthem, he tells her unequivocably that the Harrison School...

When Philip receives a letter telling him that his homeroom has changed in Nothing But the Truth, his parents take it as proof that Miss Narwin does not like him. Earlier, Philip told his parents...

Chapter 16 recounts the events of the day Philip returns to school in chronological order, through the use of memos, letters, and conversations. The Chapter opens with copies of condemnatory...

Philip describes Miss Narwin as uptight and strict. In an entry dated Tuesday, March 13 at 10:35 p.m., Philip says that Miss Narwin is so uptight that she seems like she was pieced together with...

When referencing literature, the climax is "the point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action." The climax of Avi's Nothing but the Truth occurs when both Phillip and...

Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel (by award-winning young adult novelist Edward Irving Wortis, using the pen name "Avi") tells the story of a boy's suspension from the fictional Harrison...

The mood of Nothing But the Truth is constantly shifting—perhaps because the voices, points of focus, and character perspectives of this drama are also constantly shifting. When we first meet...

Did Miss Narwin cause Phillip's suspension? That is the main question of this chapter. It all starts with Jennifer Stewart's story about the incident. The associated Wire service read her story and...

In Nothing But the Truth by Avi, Dr. Palleni sees Phil in his office because Philip has disrupted Ms. Narwin's class with his humming during the "National Anthem." When Dr. Palleni says, "We're...

The resolution of Avi's Nothing But the Truth comes as the readers find out which path each of the main characters will take. For Miss Narwin, her path is one of suspension, of not being able to...

If I were Miss Narwin's student in Nothing But the Truth by Avi, and Mrs. Malloy told my mother Miss Narwin was the worst teacher in the school, I would hope I would tell the truth. It is quite...

In Nothing But the Truth by Avi, Philip Malloy's English teacher Miss Narwin gives him some advice when she grades his test over The Call of the Wild by Jack London. Phillip has not even finished...

In Nothing But the Truth by Avi, Philip's parents are misguided because they never really seek out the truth. They believe what Phil tells them--that his teacher, Miss Narwin, is out to get him and...

This is a tough one but I would say the climax of the story is the point where Philip breaks into tears because he can not sing the National Anthem and confesses he does not know it. At that point...

In Nothing But the Truth, Phillip Malloy remains a static character for much of the story, stuck in a state of youthful rebellion while a firestorm of controversy rages around him. Though he is the...

I would argue that the largest lesson that can be learned from Avi's Nothing But the Truth is a moral one: that of the importance of telling, as the title suggests, the absolute and most complete...

Generally speaking, the reaction of the other students upon Philip's return is not favorable. Ken Barchet, a friend with whom Philip rides on the bus, is decent to him, but tells him he can't run...

In the novel, Philip Malloy is angry because his English teacher, Miss Margaret Narwin, gives him a D, which means he can't be on the track team. He acts out in her homeroom, humming the national...

In the novel Nothing But the Truth, Philip Malloy, the main character, has parents who often argue with each other. Avi, the author of this documentary novel, never includes a long argument between...

Book pages differ from edition to edition of any given book, and although there are no journals or letters on page 70 of my particular copy to Nothing but the Truth, I am assuming you are referring...

Phillip Malloy is pretty much a nightmare student for any teacher. Constitutionally lazy and forever goofing-off in class, he's virtually unteachable. It's not so much that he's lacking in...

Unfortunately, Dr. Seymour finds an application for a grant that Miss Narwin had written, requesting that the school pay for her to take a summer staff development course. In the grant, she makes...

The great thing about Nothing But the Truth is all the different points of view you are given. The author uses Philip's journals as well as how others react to him to give the reader an idea of who...

Though Philip has a lot of talent and athletic ability for track, he is not allowed to even try out for the team because his grades are not good enough. The school rules say that an athlete must...

In Nothing But the Truth by Avi, the conflict is resolved in a most unsatisfactory way. Each person involved has told a different "truth," and particularly because of Philip's telling, just about...

Jennifer Stewart, the reporter, questions Dr. Seymour and Dr. Doane about the school district's policy on students singing the national anthem. She also calls Dr. Palleni and Miss Narwin. Philip...

When Philip comes to sit his winter term English exam, he's required to answer a question on The Call of the Wild by Jack London. It's already been established that Philip doesn't think much of the...

In Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel by Avi, Dr. Palleni, the principal of Harrison High School, suspends Philip for two days. The conversation about the suspension starts on page 75. I...

In Nothing But the Truth by Avi, Philip writes in his diary that Ms. Narwin wants him to "put down the things she thinks" in class. He is upset and angry that he received a low grade on his Call of...

Avi's novel for Young Adults is indeed structured differently from most novels. It is partially written in what is called "epistolary style," that is, through letters both to and from the novel's...

In Nothing but the Truth, the news article about Philip Molloy's suspension is distributed by the American Affiliated Press Wire Service, which means that it is available to the entire country, if...

In her letter to her sister Anita, Miss Narwin mentions Philip Molloy and his disruptive behavior in class. She starts by saying that she's convinced that there's something in his private life...

In Avi's Nothing But the Truth, the first time Allison Doresett sits with Philip on the bus, he has just found out that he cannot be on the track team unless he can get his grade changed in...

Miss Narwin writes to Dr. Doane, Principal of Harrison High School, enclosing her application to the State Education Office for a summer grant-in-aid. She is hoping to attend a summer program at...

In Avi's YA novel Nothing but the Truth, Philip Malloy is a high school student who aspires to join to track team. However, he is thwarted from doing so after he gets a "D" in the English class...

Nothing But the Truth is a documentary novel, meaning that the author conveys the actual story through all sorts of different types of documents: journal entries, memos, letters, newspaper...

In Nothing But the Truth by Avi, Jennifer Stewart's article on April 1 is inaccurate because she did not get all the facts. First of all, Philip was not suspended for singing "The Star Spangled...