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On My Honor: Newbery Honor Book Review

I feel this story is very touching to me and it is also very sad. Some may think this story is boring but its not. I would recommend this book because it can relate to any young kid growing up. I think that Joel should have told his parents sooner because the outcome could have been alot better then waiting till the police came. He could have tried to convince him to stay go to the state park, go swimming or just not go anywhere. I believe that if he had made these suggestions that Tony would not have died that day. I believe that Tony was a great friend to Joel as Joel was to him, it just goes to show that sometimes as a kid we make bad decisions and someone could get hurt or even worse die.This is why I feel that if someone wants to do something you feel is a bad idea you should voice your opinion as oppose to just staying shut.
I think the author is great and I would like to read some of his other books like, The Secret of the Painted House,
Killing Miss Kitty and Other Sins, and Wonders of America:Mount Rushmore

On My Honor: Newbery Honor Book Overview

When his best friend drowns while they are swimming in a treacherous river that they had promised never to go near, Joel is devastated and terrified at having to tell both sets of parents the terrible consequences of their disobedience. "A powerful, soul-stirring novel told simply and well."--Booklist, starred review. A Newbery Honor Book; ALA Notable Children's Book.

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Customer Reviews

Why some required reading shouldn't be required - Amanda Pike - NY

Sometimes I think certain Required reading books in public schools are actually intended to deter children from reading books, whether it's the tedious and dull Old Man and the Sea, to the unintentionally conforming Chocolate War or the ever misunderstood Lord of the Flies.

On My Honor is one of those books that is truly, truly depressing.

I read this book when I was eleven or twelve years old in seventh grade (I was pushed school a lot so I was a little young for the grade).

I'd like to know what bleak minded, morbid, sadist decided this is a great read for eleven and twelve-year-olds. It's already difficult getting young people to read. Do you have to depress them into avoiding books?

It seems if I didn't come across better works out there I could easily have been provoked into hating books growing up with the likes of this and The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway.

On my Honor is seriously depressing. The protagonist is a twelve-year-old boy. The majority of the novel is the boy's guilt over the death of his friend. That's right, this book is about eighty percent grief and guilt. Sure angst often makes for a good read but the guilt is so palpable in this thing that you start to feel and maybe that's the intent but it's very depressing. For a good part of the book the hero is in shock. His friend has died, he feels accountable. It's bleak. It's very, very bleak. And I can't think of very many eleven and twelve-year-olds who would take pleasure in reading something like this. I don't mind this book. I just don't think it should be required reading for young kids. At that age kids should be reading books more enticing to their personalities, tastes and cinematic adventure style writing. It's not a bad book but not exactly what I'd use to get kids into reading.
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If you're AT ALL sensitive, do NOT read this book - -
Before I begin writing my review, I will say this: I am a very sensitive kid. Even the least traumatic things affect me, and the more emotional, the more I'm affected. In fact, I'm very surprised that I didn't cry when I read this book - but I did come close.

As you can tell from reading the other reviews, here's this book's whole plot in a nutshell (and I did not know what would happen before I read it, which may have made it even more shocking...):
1) Boy promises his father ("on his honor") that, basically, the rest of the book wouldn't happen
2) He breaks his promise, which results in his friend dying
3) He is forced to cope with his guilt for the rest of the horrible, extremely emotional book

I did not find this book "touching" in any sense, and, quite frankly, I think the author must be a very disturbed person.
If she was trying to write a peer pressure lesson, I suppose it would be effective, but certainly NOT enjoyable.

Despite all of this, this book is actually very well-written, so I guess if that's the sole thing you're aiming for when you're reading a book, go ahead and dive into this one. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.



Anthony's review - -
I just got done reading On My Honor. The main characters are Joey and Tony. It's about Joey and Tony who lived by each other for their whole life. One day Joey and
Tony decide to go to a river, Tony cant swim. Tony want's to race joey anyway so when they started racing Joey look back and Tony wasen't there. Joey thought right away Tony drowned oh no how was i going to tell my parents what about his parents
Later that Joey went home but ever one was asking him were Tony was at he just was making lyes. After a hour or 2 the police came to the door and started asking Joey questions. "Were is Tony at Idont know" Joey was so scared that he started to cry. After a minute or 2 Joey told the police the truth he droned. Joey was crying everybody started to cry. i think you should read this book beacuse its that type of book that gets you nervous and you dont want to stop reading it.




*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jun 26, 2010 20:15:05