The Truth about Truman School

Butler's novel about bullying in middle school is so very close to the truth. From cyberbullying to flat out name calling, Butler offers an unflattering, yet true-to-life, view of middle school social trends. More to the point, Butler focuses on how cruel, self-centered, and uncaring many pre-teens and teens are. Butler also includes the fact that many adults either deny that such hatred occurs or blindly ignore bullying by looking the other way. The novel's unique format will appeal to young adult readers; the novel is written as a series of blog-like entries from a variety of characters. Each entry is prefaced with the character's name and with an icon to identify the character. This is a fantastic format for struggling and reluctant readers. Also, the voice of the novel will appeal to young adult readers. The characters "sound" like real middle school students. The Truth about Truman School is an excellent read and should be read by middle school students and anyone who comes in contact with them. The novel is a shout out as to how mean people are and can be.

'The Truth About Truman School' is a YA book about middle school, and cliques, and cyber-bullying. Two 8th graders - Zebby and Amr - start a website that is supposed to talk about the real things that happen at their school (Zebby is frustrated that the school newspaper is only allowed to publish puff pieces). Quickly, though, the site becomes a forum for bashing one of the 'popular girls' ... much cruelty and angst ensue. The book is framed as bits of the story unfolding from the POV of a half-dozen or so of the people most involved in the prank (Zebby & Amr, the girl being bullied, some of her popular friends and one brief and hilarious entry from her jock boyfriend, and 2 social outcasts). The varying perspectives keep the book interesting, and there's a bit of a mystery as well; the reader does not know who the 'bully' is until the end. Honestly, I was prepared for something trite and preachy about bullying, or some self-absorbed teenaged whining. I found neither in this book. While the concept (bullying) is nothing new, I thought the presentation was fresh and I found the mystery compelling enough to keep me intrigued until the end. I'm 47 years old, and I wondered what ages this book would most appeal to. I gave it to my 15 year-old son, who read it very fast and really enjoyed it, though he did feel it was a little young for him. Then I gave it to my 12 year-old son, who also read it fast and loved it. I would say that Middle Schoolers are the most appropriate audience here; I disagree with the '9-12' advice given in the book description here. I would have given the book 4 stars, but my kids both gave it a 5 star rating so I went with their advice, since this is a YA novel and I am unfortunately no longer Y. Bottom Line: A fast compelling read that takes a realistic look at bullying; it should appeal to most Middle Schoolers.

This book is right on point with what is going on today with cyberbullying and things of that nature. It could be a real eye opener for some parents/adults to have no idea about the things that go on online. It also enables parents/adults to understand som e of the situations/scenarios and could allow them to watch for warning signs, etc. I think the book could be used as a tool as well for teens/pre teens. The storyline itself is so close to real and I think that this book is an interesting read,in different ways,for all ages. I think that the majority of teens/pre teens will easily relate with the story, as most kids in this age group have had some experience on either end of the stick in a situation like this.

Middle school, the nerds vs. the popular kids. The story has been told since "Rebel Without a Cause" and Hinton's "The Outsider." Doris Hillestad Butler puts a modern spin on the problems of middle school by adding in the real world: texting and the Internet. Weird Zibby and her equally outcast friend, Amr, decide to launch a web site where kids can discuss the TRUTH about their school. They have idealistic hopes that their web site will get other kids to think about things like the new math curriculum. Amr is Moslem and must defend his faith and customs against cruel remarks and innuendos. Zibby chooses her blue hair, but has no one except Amr to share her love of newspapers and politics. The web site quickly turns into a gossip repository and then a cyber-bullying web site. The results are not good for anyone, especially the target of the attacks. Libby and Amr learn about responsibility, friendship, and what freedom of the press can mean in their age group. This is a good slice-of-life novel with interesting, distinct voices. It would have been nice to add one or two smarter, more cautious adults to the mix!

The Truth About Truman School approaches the subject of Cyberbullying in a a unique manner by presenting the story as an an amalgam of many points of view woven together by the fictional website's editor, Zebby Bower. Zebby tells us at the beginning of the presentation that her website had unintended consequences and that she's asked everyone involved to volunteer their side of the story in their own words and that she will stitch together a complete account from all submissions, changing names where necessary to protect people. Therefore, we don't really know if any of the names given are real or pseudonyms assigned by Zebby. However, none of that matters once the story begins and picks up speed. The narrative is quickly paced and even though we are told from the outset that something terrible resulted from the experiment in free speech that was TruthAboutTrumanSchool.Com, there are some surprising twists and turns. From time to time the author slips up and breaks out of her self-imposed structure by introducing unnecessary novelistic flourishes of detail you would not expect a teen to include in a retelling of their story but this doesn't detract from the building tension. In fact, the turn-taking in the telling of the story helps to illustrate how gossip at the Middle School builds on itself and takes on a life of its own. Also commendable is the fact that while adult points of view are reported by the narrators, they do not swoop in and "save the day" by telling the kids what to think. The kids in this story are forced to face the reality of what they have done and come to their own conclusions about it. The reader may be pleased with some of those conclusions and disappointed by others but they can't deny the realism represented by the narration. The fact that the author doesn't tie everything up with a neat little bow makes this book an excellent choice to share with book clubs. In a time when some kids are committing suicide because of taunts from a MySpace Account this book is a great way to open a dialogue with your teen or even your tween about the issues of bullying and taunting as well as the real responsibilities they face for what they say and do in cyberspace. You might want to read the book yourself before you give it to them so you know what issues are raised. In summary, this is a breezy read with a message that will surely get kids talking to each other about the issues represented in the story. The author has hit upon a narrative style that is perfect for the internet age and I am eager to see more from her in the Young Adult category. She has a unique talent for expressing the every day challenges teens face in our new tech-oriented society.