One Thing That's True [Hardcover]

Cheryl Foggo (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

A novel for young adults

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9?In this first novel, 13-year-old Roxanne relates the ups and downs of her life the summer before entering high school. She and her older brother, Joel, are closer than most brothers and sisters; they hang out together and rely upon one another. When the class bully tries to put his hand up Roxanne's shirt, Joel defends her in a rage and ends up grounded. Their parents are worried that the incident will be turned into a racial issue; they are one of the few black families in their Calgary community. As the summer progresses, emotions in the family run high, until Mom and Dad reveal a secret. Roxanne and Joel are both shocked to discover that they aren't actually siblings, that Joel's birth mother died and his father was in jail. Angry and hurt, Joel runs away. Foggo's believable characters, realistic situations, and authentic dialogue create a comfortable atmosphere to which readers can easily relate. Despite their problems, the family's strong, loving relationships come through and provide the foundation that enables them to survive the ordeal and begin the tenuous rebuilding of trust and faith in one another. Despite her feelings of confusion, loneliness, and loss, Roxanne learns that "you can find your way again. You can still end up where you're supposed to be."?Lynda Short, The Lexington School, KY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. Roxanne Jacob, 13, can't work out what's gone wrong with her family. Why are her parents acting so weird, especially with her older brother, Joel? When it turns out that Joel is adopted and that they had kept it secret because of family trouble, Joel runs away. Roxanne is heartbroken and vents her anger not only on her parents but also on her best friend and on the boy she loves. Set in Calgary, Canada, this first novel is told in a fresh, funny, contemporary voice that blends the suspenseful plot about family secrets with Roxanne's coming-of-age struggles ("Are you, like, in love or something?"). Race and class are part of the story: as one of the few black families in the community, the Jacobs feel part of the mainstream but are always wary of prejudice, which comes especially from the poor white kids and their families. The boyfriend is too perfectly gorgeous, wise, and understanding to be true, but Roxanne and her family are individualized with wit and poignancy. Foggo dramatizes serious issues without sermonizing and captures the joy and muddle of growing up. Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Kids Can Press (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550744119
• ISBN-13: 978-1550744118
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,546,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It blew me away!, July 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: One Thing That's True (Hardcover)

Me and my friend were in a bookstore and she found this book we both read the back and said-well this looks good so I bought it.I started reading it around seven at night and didn't stop till I had finished because this book was so darn good.All my friends have read it and it is the same for them. Thank-you Ms. Foggo!!!!!!!!