Tricia Springstubb’s new novel tells a true story, only in fictional disguise. Her heroine Amber, a sixth grader, is smart but ordinary, cute but not gorgeous, and quietly funny. She has two best friends. Lottie is brainy, and Mariah is a soccer superstar. Amber’s beloved older brother Gage is beginning to grow away from the family. Minor characters, like little sister Clancy, the popular kids, and Amber’s Aunt Noreen, weave in and out, behaving plausibly and entertainingly. Their story, intended for middle schoolers, challenges any reader to think about the importance of telling the truth, and of kindness, and of honest communication within families. (Tricia is a friend and lives in Cleveland Heights.)
A disaster sets the plot in motion: Amber’s house burns to the ground. The community rallies around the family, but mysteries hover over the action. How did the fire start? How will the family rebuild? Will Amber’s parents, Gus and Meg, be able to bridge the worsening rifts between them? And on top of everything else, Amber faces everyday middle-school questions, such as where she’s going to sit in the cafeteria.
Bigger, heavier issues dog Amber and her brother Gage. They face hard choices about telling the truth and keeping secrets. Hard truths abound, and the kids behave like real kids–sometimes heroes and sometimes falling short. Like Tricia’s previous books (Every Single Second and Looking for True, for example), How to Tell a True Story provides an emotionally true and satisfying story for the young person in your life.
I wrote about another enjoyable YA novel last year, The Kings of B’More by R. Eric Thomas (March, 2024). Have you read any books created for young people? What are your favorites from the near or distant past?
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