Nothing but the Truth (and a few White Lies)

Headley, Justina Chen. Nothing but the Truth (and a few White Lies). Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-0316011310

Plot
Patty Ho is a hapa: half Taiwanese and half white. Her parents are divorced and her mother is always more than willing to explain why white men are no good. Her mother is also very, very strict and has signed up Patty for a Standford math camp for the summer. Now away from her mother's clutches Patty has a chance to be herself and figure out what she wants in life.

Critical Evaluation
Headley has a talent of creating characters with flaws and still have them liked by the reader. Patty comes into the story being very unsure of herself. Later she is able to grow more comfortable in her skin and stand up for herself and what she wants. This book had a bright and upbeat tone. The story is not exceptional, b,ut it is still an enjoyable book that teens, especially those with mixed backgrounds will appreciate.

Reader's Annotation
Patty Ho just found out that her mom signed her up for a Standford math camp for the summer. Begrudgingly Patty goes, but finds herself an opportunity to find out about herself and what she wants.

About the Author
Justina Chen Headley was born in Buffalo New York and later moved to California. She wrote her first fifty page novella when she was just eight years old. She attended Standford and worked for Microsoft for several years. After a while she realized she missed writing and took a novel-writing course.

She has written four books for children and teens. Her book North of Beautiful has received rave reviews. She is married and has two kids.

Genre
Fiction

Curriculum
Chinese Americans
Generational Gap
Coming of Age

Book Talking Ideas
When did you sense Patty started getting more confident?
How do you think about the relationship between Patty and her mom?
Do you agree with the thinking of Patty's mom?

Reading Level/Interest Age
12+

Challenge Issues
Sexual reference, swears

Challenge Answer
The language is very sparse and mild. The sexual reference is just in one scene of the book and it is implied.

Why Included in Selection
It was interesting to read a book with a mixed heritage individual as the protagonist.