Nothing but the Truth

Nothing but the Truth Summary | Plot Summary

Nothing But the Truth chronicles a disagreement between Philip Malloy, a ninth grade student, and his English teacher, Miss Narwin. The problems begin when Miss Narwin gives Philip a "D" in the class, based on his poor exam answers. The low grade makes Philip ineligible to try out for the track team - his fondest desire. Problems develop when Philip is transferred from the freewheeling homeroom class of Mr. Lunser to Miss Narwin's homeroom later in the year. Philip hums along with "The Star-Spangled Banner" each morning to annoy the teacher. Miss Narwin asks him to stop and sends Philip to the office when he refuses.

After Philip's second visit to the office for the same offense, he is given a choice between apologizing and being suspended. Philip refuses to apologize. The incident is reported in a local paper and becomes a rallying point for the national press, as well as political candidates. The school receives hundreds of telegrams supporting Philip's right to patriotically sing the national anthem. Despite the fact that she has upheld school policy, Miss Narwin is asked to take a leave of absence for the remainder of the year. Miss Narwin resigns, and Philip's parents use his college fund to send him to a private school. Ironically, the new school has no track team, although the students sing the national anthem every morning.

As the novel begins, Philip feels that the books the middle-aged teacher has selected are irrelevant to modern students. He fails to read the assignments and frequently clowns in class to gain the attention of Allison Doresette. Miss Narwin, who has been teaching for twenty-one years, regards Philip's jokes as a sign of disrespect. She sees him as lazy and lacking direction. Determined to provide discipline, Miss Narwin rigidly enforces the rule about silence during the national anthem. Philip hums so softly that most of the other students don't even notice. Yet, when he persists and refuses to apologize, he is suspended.

Philip's story becomes a cause celebre for a local school board candidate, who believes that schools should teach values. A highly biased version of the incident in local and national papers says that Philip has been kicked out of school for patriotism. The school superintendent insists the school has no rule requiring silence during the anthem, even though he knows that this is a lie.

The issue becomes a political hot potato. Dr. Seymour, the school superintendent, and Ted Griffen, a school board candidate, publicly blame the teacher for changing the rules. Dr. Seymour implies that Miss Narwin is a poor teacher who can't be fired due to tenure. The school receives over 200 telegrams and letters supporting Philip. Miss Narwin is suspended for the remainder of the school year. She resigns from teaching and goes to Florida to live with her sister.

Despite Dr. Seymour's efforts at damage control, the school budget is defeated. Ted Griffen is elected to the School Board, ensuring budget cuts for years to come. Many of the students and teachers blame Philip for "doing a number" on Miss Narwin. He doesn't feel welcome at Harrison High School, and his parents use Philip's college fund to send him to Washington Academy, a geeky private school. When he's asked to lead the singing of the national anthem on his first day, Philip must confess that he doesn't know the words.

Avi's subtle satire on media bias and the effects of the political process upon education is only too realistic. It is a witty, award-winning novel in a format that encourages critical thinking, yet is accessible to many young readers. The characters are complex, realistic and easily recognizable to current students. The award-winning novel, written in a documentary style, has no clear villain. Instead, a simple misunderstanding is blown all out of proportion and becomes a disaster for the community.