The Honest Truth [hc]
By Dan Gemeinhart
It's never too late for the adventure of a lifetime. In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He's got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day. But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals. And treatments. The kind of sick some people never get better from. So Mark runs away. He leaves home with his camera, his notebook, his dog, and a plan. A plan to reach the top of Mount Rainier. Even if it's the last thing he ever does. The Honest Truth is a rare and extraordinary novel about big questions, small moments, and one incredible journey. The plot contains mild violence. 240 pages
"Debut author Gemeinhart has pulled off an impressive combination of suspenseful adventure thriller and cancer narrative. Chapters alternate between Mark's and Jessie's perspectives in straightforward language... Touching but unsentimental, this is a deeply moving adventure." -Booklist (Grades 4-6)
"The many moments of heart-racing suspense, as well as the underlying gravity, may overwhelm faint-hearted readers; hardier ones will find it a gripping page-turner." -Publishers Weekly, Starred Review (Ages 8-12)
January 27, 2015
Two signed copies
AR Level=4.0; Lexile Level=550
