Nothing But the Truth is a documentary novel laying out the evidence of how one student's penchant to hum along with the playing of "The Star Spangled Banner" resulted in national media coverage, culminating in the professional demise of a well-meaning English teacher. Phillip Malloy likes to hum as the national anthem is played over the school's intercom system each morning. Despite the English teacher's repeated requests for him to stop, Phillip continues until he is suspended. His parents challenge the school, and chaos ensues. Phillip is struggling to achieve status in sports and assert his individuality in the classroom. He is a freshman—invincible and careless. Philip is testing authority and self-reliance while exploring his own independence. More importantly, he is unaware of the eventual consequences of his actions to himself and others. A major theme of this book is truth and the search for complete truth amongst the multiple versions of the same incident.
Because of its captivating documentary format, Nothing But the Truth is suitable for several grades. It includes themes and issues that are pertinent to students'lives. With a few clever lesson plans, this book can be taught effectively in most secondary language arts classrooms.