The Truth of Me

by Patricia MacLachlan

Overview

Patricia MacLachlan, Newbery Medal–winning author of Sarah, Plain and Tall, weaves a poignant story that celebrates how our unique "small truths" make each of us magical and brave in our own ways.

When Robbie spends the summer at his grandmother Maddy's house, he revels in his grandmother's easy, relaxed ways. Robbie has always felt as if something is missing in his life—his parents don't always act like they love him. Maddy helps him understand that an experience his mother had long ago is at the heart of the problem in his family. With this knowledge, Robbie finds the courage to try to make things right.

Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book
ALA Booklist Notable Children's Books Nominee
New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061998614
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/20/2015
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	4.90(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Patricia MacLachlan (1938-2022) was the celebrated author of many timeless books for young readers, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal. She was also the author of many beloved picture books, a number of which she cowrote with her daughter, Emily.

Editorial Reviews

Brief but emotionally intense...MacLachlan demonstrates her mastery of elegantly unfolding a tale and gently plucking at readers’ heartstrings without taking a maudlin tone.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A spare, poetically composed tale written in short chapters perfect for beginning read-it-alone readers, this should resonate with young and old alike—and makes for a great intergenerational story to share.” — ALA Booklist

“An elegant exploration of love and familial relationships...This story is well paced and rhythmic in its dialogue, lending itself well to a group read-aloud.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

A spare, poetically composed tale written in short chapters perfect for beginning read-it-alone readers, this should resonate with young and old alike—and makes for a great intergenerational story to share.

ALA Booklist

Praise for Kindred Souls: “These are time-sculpted themes-the bond between a child and a grandparent, a child’s first experience of death, the comfort of continuity and connection to the natural world—and MacLachlan gives them her particular stamp of plain speaking and poetry.

The Horn Book

Robbie, perhaps 9 or 10 years old, is a bit of a sobersides, a solemn young narrator, given to adult tone and phrasing in his spare, first-person, present-tense account of an unexpected adventure. Robbie seems to withhold something of himself, unsure whether to trust his feelings even as he resents and longs for his similarly contained, talented mother. Robbie's parents leave him and Ellie, his well-behaved dog, with Maddy, his grandmother, as they depart for a concert tour with his mother's string quartet. Maddy has the ability to attract and communicate peacefully with the wild creatures of the forest, and it troubles Robbie that his parents find her eccentricity worrisome. And though the dog remembers Maddy's doughnut dinner, apparently Maddy has forgotten ever meeting the dog when she quizzes Robbie about Ellie before their arrival. The stay at Maddy's house becomes an inadvertent test of Robbie's ability to trust as well as to meet a challenge when his grandmother is injured on an overnight camping trip and a bear comes close to camp. In learning that he can rely on his own strengths ("small truths," as Henry puts it) Robbie also finds that he is able to be generous with his love. Some readers may find the gentle pace lacking in excitement, but for others, Robbie's quietly affecting observations will feel like truth. (Fiction. 8-10)

Kirkus Reviews