Incoming 8th Grade Summer Reading Assignment: Nothing But the Truth by Avi Incoming 8th Grade Summer Reading Assignment: Nothing But the Truth by Avi Directions: Please answer the following questions in complete sentences (you do not need to restate the question in your answer) on a separate sheet of paper. Chapters 1­2 1. What is the basic conflict which the author is setting up? p. 4­5 2. What kind of teacher is Mr. Lunser? Compare him to Margaret Narwin. 3. What are the primary concerns of the members of Philip’s household? including Philip? Chapters 3­4 4. What is the importance of the memo Philip receives from Dr. Joseph Palleni? 5. How does Philip answer his English exam question four? What is his attitude and manner? 6. What is your opinion of Miss Narwin’s comment on Philip’s exam paper? 7. Predict what Philip’s winter term grade will be and how he will react. Chapters 5­6 8. What do you learn of Margaret Narwin from her application for a grant? 9. What do you learn of the Harrison School District from the memo in Chapter 5? 10.What do you learn from the school superintendent from his memo in Chapter 6? 11.What is foreshadowing? Look for a possible example in Chapter 6. Chapters 7­8 12.What wishes does Philip write in his diary entry for March 23? 13.Find an example of hyperbole in Chapter 7. What is hyperbole? 14.What is Dr. Doane’s answer to Margaret Narwin’s grant request? How is she informed? 15.How is March 26th similar for Miss Narwin and Philip? Chapters 9­10 16.When his dad talks to Philip about grades, especially the English mark, and track team tryouts, how does Philip manage to hide the truth? 17.How are respect, hurt and truth revealed in Narwin’s letter and Philip’s diary? 18.What does the faculty room conversation (pp. 43­45) reveal about about Miss Narwin? 19.What do you think is Philip’s real reason for humming during the national anthem in Miss Narwin’s homeroom? 20.Note how the truth of the humming in homeroom incident changes slightly with retelling and exaggeration creeps in. Quote 3 examples from the book. 21.What is his father’s advice to Philip? How do you think this advice might affect the rest of the story? Chapters 11­12 22.How does the humming incident escalate during homeroom? 23.On page 61, Palleni says, “We’re into solving problems, not making them.” What might this foreshadow? 24.Why is the conversation between Mr. Malloy and his boss, Mr. Dexter, included in the book? 25.Irony is when something happens that is opposite of what one might expect. How might the lucky and standing up for yourself statements be ironic as the story unfolds? 26.Should Philip have apologized? What would you have done? 27.Who is Ted Griffin and how does he affect change in the plot? Chapters 13­14 28.Compare (similarities) and contrast (differences) the reactions of each person that Jennifer Stewart interviews about the suspension. 29.What is the tone of the article about Philip in the Manchester Record? What “loaded” words did the news writer add that slanted the piece? Chapter 15 30.a) Is Jake Barlow really telling his readers the “whole story”? Why or why not? b) How does Jake Barlow affect the plot? 31.Explain Dr. Seymour’s statement, “It’s what people are saying that’s important.” 32.Compare/contrast the three drafts of the memos about the national anthem incident. Why do they differ? What is happening to the truth? Chapter 16­17 33.Provide two examples from these chapters where what people say is not an exact retelling of what happened? 34.How is Chapter 16 a turning point in the book? How does the plot really take a change here? 35.At the end of Chapter 16 and 17, how do Narwin and Philip show similarities? Chapter 18­19 36.What do you learn from the Manchester Record school election returns? How does this further the disparity in the truth? 37.Why isn’t Narwin’s story told? What will she do? 38.What are the final ironies of the book? After Reading Create character circles for the following characters: Philip Malloy, Miss Narwin, Mr. Lunser, Dr. Seymour, Dr. Palleni, Dr. Doane Here is an example: Philip Malloy: