The Honest Truth ~ Dan Gemeinhart

This may be the most dorky Christmas picture you have ever seen 😂, but honestly, I still have tears in my eyes because I just closed this book. The Honest Truth, by Dan Gemeinhart, is so, so beautiful. I am in awe.

This novel tells the story of Mark, a boy who has just gotten news that his cancer is back, maybe worse than ever. Driven by hopelessness, fear, and rage, Mark leaves home with his dog, Beau, to choose death, rather than let death choose him.

Gemeighnhart weaves an incredibly powerful story of friendship and adventure together and leaves readers thinking hard about what, in life, matters most. Everyone needs to read this book, and the great news is, despite its complex themes, this novel is accessible to all students reading at a third grade level and up! Adults out there, this is a must-read for you too! Buy the book here!

Maturity: 1/4This novel is appropriate for all ages. However, the main character has cancer and describes some of his symptoms and the deep emotional pain of his diagnosis. Students should be made aware of this before reading.

Pages: 229

Lexile: 550L

Lexile is a score that helps educators and parents match students with an appropriate text. A Lexile score is a measure of both a child’s reading ability and a text difficulty. However, Lexile does not take into account the content of a novel. So, pairing readers with a text is a complex process, and knowledge of a novel’s themes and plot is necessary to make a high-quality recommendation.If you are curious about the grade-level equivalent to Lexile scores, check out the conversion chart here!Check us out on Instagram! #rileyreadsya