In this moving and funny companion to the acclaimed To Tell You the Truth, Raymond has a life-changing summer when he’s sent to Maine to stay with the grandparents he’s never met.
Raymond has always preferred to keep life simple and leave adventuring to other people. But then he’s sent across the country, against his will, to spend the summer before fifth grade with grandparents who think he’s “troubled” and needs to have playdates set up for him. Determined to show everyone how brave, confident, and un troubled he can be, Raymond hatches a three-step plan:
1) Learn to ride a bike. His mom never got around to teaching him before she left.
2) Learn how to swim.
3) Make friends. On his own.
But can Raymond really change, or is this whole plan just a bunch of lies he’s telling himself? With the help of his great-grandfather’s old journal, a feral chicken, and a possibly imaginary new friend, Raymond might just overcome his fears and figure out who he really wants to be.
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Gr 4-6-In this companion novel to To Tell You the Truth, 11-year-old Raymond is sent to spend the summer at his grandparents' house in Winter's Peak, ME. Some kids might not find this so bad, but Raymond doesn't remember his grandparents. In fact, he can barely remember his mom, Abigail, who abandoned his family six years before. Of course, Gigi and Jack don't really know Raymond either. They believe he's "troubled" and "backwards" and needs a summer full of bike riding, swimming, and making friends-too bad Raymond can't ride a bike, swim, or easily make friends. Still, he is determined to try. With the help of his grandfather's journal, the tween sets out to make the best of the summer and maybe even find some truth in the lies he tells himself. Readers see Raymond grow in confidence and ability over the months, so the inner strength he exhibits in the final chapters is believable. The cast is primarily white. In this novel with intergenerational themes, the author takes care that no one, child or adult, comes across as all good or all bad. VERDICT Readers don't need to be familiar with the previous book to enjoy this story of a boy learning who he is. Recommended.-Heather Webb