The Honest to Goodness Truth

Name: The Honest to Goodness Truth
Author: Patricia C. McKissack

A story that explores integrity and opens a conversation with your child.

★★★★★ Loved by families

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♥ This book teaches: Integrity. doing what is right when no one is watching.

Before, During & After Reading

Guiding Questions for Parents.

Definition: Integrity means being honest, and responsible and respectful all the time, whether or not people can see what you’re doing. In short: Do the right thing, even when no one's looking. Summary: Libby chooses to lie to her mom about doing her chores and she is punished for lying. Honesty becomes Libby’s new habit, but she finds that telling the truth can be complicated. Libby discovers that when she tells embarrassing truths about her classmates, she is shunned. Libby explains to her mom what’s been happening, and she receives some good advice about selective truth telling - tell the truth but do it in a way to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings. “Sweeten it with love!” Lesson Objectives:

Students discuss and practice ways to tell the truth without hurting someone’s feelings.

Guiding Questions:

Why do you think Libby lied to her mom in the beginning of the story?
What were the consequences of not telling the truth to her mom?
Libby started pointing out the truth about her classmates, but what happened when she did that?
What happened when Libby told her neighbor that her garden looked like a jungle?
What advice did Libby’s mom give her about telling the truth?
What do you think it means to tell the truth but “sweeten it with love?”
If a classmate had a hole in their sock, how could you tell them about it so it doesn’t hurt their feelings?
If you don’t like a picture a classmate made, what could you say instead of, “I don’t like your picture.”
When a classmate has food that you don’t like and they offer you some, how could you tell them in a way that doesn’t hurt their feelings?
If someone asks you to play and you don’t like to play the same games as they do, how could you tell them you don’t want to play without hurting their feelings?

🌿 Virtue Connection: Integrity means doing what is right even when no one is watching.

About the Story.

This guide is part of the Values & Virtues library, a free collection of 400+ book guides and activities organized around 12 core virtues for children from pre-K to 6th grade. Each guide includes Guiding Questions designed to open a real conversation with your child in 10 minutes or less.

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Integrity · Family Discussion Guide

The Honest to Goodness Truth

by Patricia C. McKissack

Guiding Questions

Students discuss and practice ways to tell the truth without hurting someone’s feelings.

Guiding Questions:

Why do you think Libby lied to her mom in the beginning of the story?
What were the consequences of not telling the truth to her mom?
Libby started pointing out the truth about her classmates, but what happened when she did that?
What happened when Libby told her neighbor that her garden looked like a jungle?
What advice did Libby’s mom give her about telling the truth?
What do you think it means to tell the truth but “sweeten it with love?”
If a classmate had a hole in their sock, how could you tell them about it so it doesn’t hurt their feelings?
If you don’t like a picture a classmate made, what could you say instead of, “I don’t like your picture.”
When a classmate has food that you don’t like and they offer you some, how could you tell them in a way that doesn’t hurt their feelings?
If someone asks you to play and you don’t like to play the same games as they do, how could you tell them you don’t want to play without hurting their feelings?

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The Honest to Goodness Truth

Guiding Questions for Parents.

About the Story.

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The Honest to Goodness Truth

Guiding Questions