Calvert Library's Book Bites for Kids

Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

Episode Summary

At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls "Daniel") stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But, no one believes a word he says. To them he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny; who makes things up and talks about poop too much. But Khosrou's stories, stretching back years, and decades, and centuries, are beautiful, and terrifying. Like Scheherazade of One Thousand and One Nights in a hostile classroom, Daniel spins a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth.

Episode Notes

Enjoy our presentation of Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri, published by Levine Querido. At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls "Daniel") stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But, no one believes a word he says. To them he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny; who makes things up and talks about poop too much. But Khosrou's stories, stretching back years, and decades, and centuries, are beautiful, and terrifying. Like Scheherazade of One Thousand and One Nights in a hostile classroom, Daniel spins a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth.

Everything Sad is Untrue has won numerous awards, including being named a 2020 Book of the Year by Amazon, NPR, The New York Times and several other publications.

This title is recommended for readers age 11 and up for some depictions of violence. Please see Common Sense Media for more information and reviews. https://bit.ly/EverythingSad_Reviews

Everything Sad is Untrue is available as an eBook on Hoopla and Libby by Overdrive.

Libby eBook - https://bit.ly/EverythingSad_LibbyeBook
Hoopla eBook - https://bit.ly/EverythingSad_HooplaeBook

Please visit www.calvertlibrary.info for more information.

Music: Dub the Uke (excerpt) by Kara Square (c) copyright 2016. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/mindmapthat/53340