The Truth about Truman School facts for kids
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| Author | Dori Hillestad Butler |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Cyberbullying |
| Published | 2008, Albert Einstein t wnistian |
| Media type | Print, ebook |
| Pages | 176 pages |
| ISBN | 0807580953 |
The Truth about Truman School is a children's book written by Dori Hillestad Butler. It was first published on March 1, 2008. The book explores the serious topic of cyberbullying. It has often been suggested as a good read for middle school students.
The book was recognized by the ALA. It was included on their Joint Presidents' Program Resources list in 2012.
Contents
What is The Truth about Truman School about?
The story is told from the point of view of several students at Truman Middle School. Two main characters are Zebby and Amr. They are upset because their school newspaper is censored. This means they can't write about everything they want.
Starting a new website
Zebby and Amr decide to create their own website. It's called thetruthabouttruman.com. They want it to be a place where students can speak freely. It's meant for reporting on what they think is the "real" Truman Middle School.
When things go wrong
Soon, some people start using the website to post mean things. They target a popular student named Lilly Clarke. Someone anonymously posts old pictures of Lilly. These pictures show her when she was younger and heavier.
Amr wonders if it's right to leave these hurtful pictures online. But Zebby insists that the website is for free speech. She also doesn't like Lilly very much, which influences her decision.
Reactions to the posts
The posts about Lilly cause different reactions. One student, Trevor, has mixed feelings. He isn't popular and doesn't like Lilly's current personality. However, he remembers that Lilly used to defend him in elementary school.
Zebby starts to notice that she is becoming more popular because of the website. Because of this, she begins to ignore the mean things happening online.
The bullying gets worse
The cyberbullying against Lilly continues and gets worse. Someone using the online name "milkandhoney" creates another website. This new site spreads false and hurtful rumors about Lilly's personal life.
Tensions rise at the school. During an exam, Lilly's boyfriend, Reece, tries to cheat off Trevor. Trevor reacts, and Reece pokes him with his pencil. The teacher notices this.
Consequences and feelings
Trevor and Reece are sent to the Principal's office. Trevor gets upset when the Principal asks him what he did to cause Reece's actions. He silently thinks that everyone blames him for being bullied. But nobody asks Lilly what she did to deserve what is happening to her.
Eventually, Lilly is left out by everyone at school. Her boyfriend breaks up with her. She constantly gets mean emails and messages. It gets so bad that some of her former friends send her an anonymous email. They tell her that nobody wants her on the cheerleading team because of the false rumors.
Finding the truth
The ongoing cyberbullying makes Lilly run away from home. She hides in a treehouse where she used to play with Zebby and Amr. Zebby and Amr find her there. They convince her to come back home.
At this point, they realize they must get help from adults. They need to find out who is posting the mean things and stop them. It is later discovered that Trevor is the anonymous "milkandhoney." He started his actions because Lilly and her friends had bullied him in the past.
