Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Kids for the gifted book.

Leaching from the pages of this book is southern charm. The phrasing and the pace of the story were just so enjoyable. Delights like this were in abundance "Oh, I screamed! I barreled up those stairs so quick I nearly left the Holy Spirit behind." I was reading this in bed and laughed so hard at that line that I woke my husband up. 
But the book is best summed up by this quote: "...But you were wrong...Because right now? I'm happy, but I'm sad too. Both can be true." This book is about a family, and mostly Trixy dealing with the tragic death of her grandmother. And she is learning how to hold both happiness and sadness in her heart at the same time. But the only way she thinks she can do that is by determining if her grandmother's stories are true. So she sneaks away to go on an adventure to the places that have loomed large in her imagination as her grandmother has told her story after story about her tumultuous childhood.

This is a fast paced middle grade book that deals with heavy topics with humor and a tender hand. It is quirky but believable, and so endearing.

Content Warning: Car Accident, Grief, Eating Disorder

To Tell You the Truth is a moving, adventurous, and heartwarming story about family, storytelling, and friendship. Trixy shares the spotlight with her Gran as both their stories are shared in this book. Readers will delight in Trixy's gift of storytelling, the life-changing road trip she embarks on, and the life-long friendships she solidifies throughout the story. Featuring a fourth-grade protagonist, this unmissable, voice-y middle grade book is perfect for fans of Louisiana's Way Home and The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane in grades 3 and up.

This is a lovely story about telling stories to help keep the memories of your loved ones alive. Trixy takes Gran's stories and starts sharing them with others. In this way it helps her deal with her grief and keep her Gran alive within her heart.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Stories Gran told quieted Trixy when she was younger, and now that Gran is gone Trixy wants people to know Gran’s stories. Her mom doesn’t think the stories are true and so Trixy sets off on a secret adventure with her friend Raymond and his dad and sister. Great message about stories and how telling them keeps the memories of your loved ones alive and by sharing them they live over and over.