True (...Sort Of)

by Katherine Hannigan

Overview

Can friendship save you?

The day Ferris Boyd moves to town, Delly Pattison is sure a special surpresent (a present that is a surprise) is on its way. Instead, Delly ends up in even more trouble than usual.

The Boyds' arrival in River Bluffs means big changes for Brud Kinney, too. He can't believe who he's hanging around with. Ferris Boyd isn't like anyone Delly or Brud have ever known. Ferris is a mystery and a wonder.

Through friendship, though, Delly, Brud, and Ferris discover truths that will change their lives. And bring them the best surpresent of all.

Includes an all-new afterword featuring a short story, photographs by the author, and more

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061968754
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/24/2012
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	375
Product dimensions:	5.08(w) x 7.20(h) x 0.93(d)
Lexile:	510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Katherine Hannigan studied mathematics, painting, and studio art and has worked as the education coordinator for a Head Start program and, most recently, as an assistant professor of art and design. She is the author of True (. . . Sort Of), Emmaline and the Bunny, and the national bestseller Ida B . . . and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World. She lives in Iowa with a bunch of cats and the occasional bunny or bird visitor. Her backyard hosts an additional array of creatures, including deer, raccoons, possums, and sometimes a skunk. But no alligators . . . yet!

Editorial Reviews

A serious story about child abuse gets lost in Hannigan's (Ida B) overlong novel that too often crosses the line from quirky to twee. After a childhood clashing with her parents, school, and police for offenses ranging from self-harm to brownie theft, 11-year-old Delaware Pattison is one strike from being sent to some unspecified "away." The fifth of six children (all named after places), Delly, as she's known, needs more attention from her working parents. Instead she latches onto new girl Ferris, who has an androgynous appearance, does not speak, and cannot be touched. Despite these hurdles, Delly makes Ferris her project. Delly has an extensive vocabulary of made-up words like chizzle and hideawaysis (a three-page glossary is appended), which gives her a cartoonish quality that is an uneasy fit with the gravity of the underlying plot. Many questions are left unanswered: where is Ferris's mother? why do teachers accept that Ferris cannot talk or be touched without further inquiry? After a lengthy setup, the ending feels rushed, dulling the impact of its important message about speaking up when someone is in danger. Ages 8–12. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 4–6—Are we defined by the labels others assign to us? Does friendship have the power to transform our lives? Hannigan tackles these questions and more in this story. Delly Pattison is strong on creativity, a dangerous thing since the idea of impulse control has never crossed her mind. Constantly being told how bad she is eventually makes for one angry kid, and when she is 11 and resorts to fistfights, she is on the verge of being sent to an alternative school. As she struggles to control her behavior, Delly begins to notice a new classmate. Ferris Boyd doesn't speak and can't be touched, yet the two bridge the gap. Trust and friendship follow, and are strong enough to handle crisis when it occurs. Told in carefully crafted language that begs to be read aloud, the story runs the gamut from laugh-out-loud funny to emotionally wrenching. Readers will likely be divided in their response to Delly's propensity for combining existing words into new ones; a present that's a surprise, for example, is a "surpresent." The same may be said of the touches of magical realism that occasionally advance the plot. Even those who quibble with bits and pieces will find meaty themes, a host of fleshed-out characters, and the same storyteller's ear that created Ida B. (Greenwillow, 2004).—Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL

School Library Journal

Impetuous, mercurial Delaware Pattison, stuttering Brud and silent, lonely Ferris find an intertwined salvation.

Delly, an impulsive middle child loved by her parents and tagalong young brother, meets life on her own terms and with such self-centered focus that she bends language to suit and reflect her. A ride home inOfficer Tibbetts' squad car is a "Dellylivery"; "What the glub?" Delly exclaims, citing her "nocussictionary"; she anticipates "surpresents" especially for her; Ferris' treehouse is a "hideawaysis." (An appended glossary—Dellyictionary—offers 40 of these portmanteaux). Brud longs to shoot baskets like Ferris, a girl so silent and thin that both he and Delly think she's a boy. Ferris fascinates Delly with her solitude and ability to connect with wild creatures and Brud with her miraculous basketball skills. Delly's teachers, though aware of Ferris' elective mutism and fear of being touched, don't question the girl's safety at home. But Delly notices scars on Ferris's back and gets a bad feeling about Ferris' normal-seeming father. There's a lot going on, and Delly's quirky language occasionally threatens to obscure the plot. Ferris is rescued, at least temporarily, but young readers may be left wondering whether adults are truly capable of protecting them.

Plenty of action and dialogue carry this uneven story along.(Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews