The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
by Leslie Connor
Katherine Teagan Books, 2018. Fiction. 326 p.
Mason Buttle's family, what's left of them, are still reeling from the "bing, bam, boom"; the death of a grandfather, a mother, and a friend all in the last few years. Mason also struggles with sever dyslexia and a disorder that makes him sweat profusely. That and his living conditions in the "cumble-down" house make him the butt of relentless bullying from the kids on his bus. Mason gets by with the help of a compassionate resource room teacher, Miss Blinny, and when he finds a friend in little Calvin Chumpsky, things seem to be looking up. But Lieutenant Baird keeps hounding Mason for more details surrounding the death of his friend, and Mason just can't seem to move past the clouds of green sadness that swirl around him and the whole town.
That plot summary makes it sound like this book is a real downer. It does deal with some heavy issues, but the overall feeling of the book is one of hope rather than despair. Mason has such and open, resilient, and likable kid that the reader can't help but feel like things will come around right in the end. This might be my favorite I have read so far this year.
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