Will I love The Honest to Goodness Truth?

This is my go-to book when suggesting read-alouds for teachers and parents who want a charming and engaging story about honesty and compassion.

I love Libby (the main character) for many reasons. She embodies so much of what I was taught as a child about “telling the truth” and also experienced much of what I did before I learned the difference between hurtful and helpful words. My inner child can relate to the character’s missteps—as can my adult self—thus the reason I recommend it for all ages. (As a side note, and for all the right reasons, I also recommend… show more.

Sometimes telling the truth is not straightforward.

This is a good book to have a more nuanced conversation with children in grade school about honesty and friendship, about how to be truthful and tactful, and how to consider other people’s feelings. As I discuss in my book, we don’t want children to be brutal and unfeeling in their honesty. 

This book can help children think about how to be honest with kindness.