photograph of cover by K. Reyes 3/2021
Bibliographic Information:
- Title: Everything Sad is Untrue
- Author: Daniel Nayeri
- ISBN: 9781646140008
- Publisher: Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Levine Querido
- Copyright Date: 2020
Genre / Format of the Title:
Awards or Honors:
Reading Level/Interest Level:
-
Magical Realism, historical fiction, #OwnVoices, realistic fiction [book]
- Trigger topic/subject tags: domestic violence, bullying
Awards or Honors:
- Michael L. Printz Award, 2021
- Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, Honor 2021
Reading Level/Interest Level:
- Grades 4-12; Lexile level: 800 (Lexile.com, 2021)
Plot Summary:
When Daniel’s mom converted to Christianity, she also doomed herself to permanent exile from Iran. She and her two children were eventually able to relocate to Oklahoma where Daniel, her son, grew up. Daniel narrates his experiences through stories that are told as though they were tales just slightly on the edge of fairytale. We find out a lot about Daniel’s life back when he was only known as Khosrou and leading up to his present life in Oklahoma where he experiences the typical travails of an outsider in a town that has never seen an Iranian. We also witness the strength of his mother as she supports her two young children in a country so foreign to her.
When Daniel’s mom converted to Christianity, she also doomed herself to permanent exile from Iran. She and her two children were eventually able to relocate to Oklahoma where Daniel, her son, grew up. Daniel narrates his experiences through stories that are told as though they were tales just slightly on the edge of fairytale. We find out a lot about Daniel’s life back when he was only known as Khosrou and leading up to his present life in Oklahoma where he experiences the typical travails of an outsider in a town that has never seen an Iranian. We also witness the strength of his mother as she supports her two young children in a country so foreign to her.
Author Background:
Daniel Nayeri was born in Iran to a well off family; both his parents were medical professionals (his father a dentist, his mom a doctor) but when his mother converted to Christianity, she had to escape Iran or be killed. Daniel’s father was not a convert so he stayed in Iran while his mother escaped with Daniel and his sister first to a refugee camp in Italy and then they were taken in as refugees by a family in Oklahoma when he was eight years old. He is currently the publisher of Odd Dot, a Macmillan imprint, and is currently one of the the youngest publishers (Villanueva, 2020). Nayeri has a wife and son and currently lives in New Jersey (West, 2021). His LinkedIn profile states that he used to be a children’s book publisher and pastry chef. He is currently writing a book set in the Silk road for middle grade readers (Kirch, 2021).
Daniel Nayeri was born in Iran to a well off family; both his parents were medical professionals (his father a dentist, his mom a doctor) but when his mother converted to Christianity, she had to escape Iran or be killed. Daniel’s father was not a convert so he stayed in Iran while his mother escaped with Daniel and his sister first to a refugee camp in Italy and then they were taken in as refugees by a family in Oklahoma when he was eight years old. He is currently the publisher of Odd Dot, a Macmillan imprint, and is currently one of the the youngest publishers (Villanueva, 2020). Nayeri has a wife and son and currently lives in New Jersey (West, 2021). His LinkedIn profile states that he used to be a children’s book publisher and pastry chef. He is currently writing a book set in the Silk road for middle grade readers (Kirch, 2021).
Author Daniel Nayeri talks at length about his book (check out starting minute 23 when he reads one of my favorite excerpts in this story!).
Critical Evaluation for Books and Non-Print Items:
This book reads like a memoir and it is indeed mostly nonfiction; but, due to the nature of memory and the framework of storytelling, this book is a work of fiction. However, I labeled it as realistic fiction along with magical realism as it has just the right balance of both. Nayeri also weaves history into the stories that you may not realize you just learned an important historical fact.
The first thing one notices about the book is that it has no chapters, the second thing is that the stories feel like vignettes that seamlessly weave seemingly disparate stories with settings in so many different and sometimes exotic and quixotic places and so many fascinating characters. Nayeri knows how to weave the dichotomies of life: the Khosrou of Iran and the Daniel of Oklahoma, the mythical biological father in Iran and the flawed stepfather in the US, the well-heeled, physician mother in Iran and the financially strapped, devout Christian mother in the states. The lack of chapters does not bother me because every beginning of a new tale is marked by a 50pt font. You can’t miss it!
The stories are told from the point of view of Daniel who narrates the tales to his classmates as a means of finding his place in the school and in his new world. The stories are sometimes tragic and often comical. There’s a lot of scatological humor and much of it is a sharp cultural observation. For example, his dilemma about using the western toilet in his friend’s house versus the squat toilet he was used to is so funny and even funnier if one has experienced these same thoughts. This book is one I plan to use this summer when I teach at-risk students who are currently credit deficient in English. I think it will inspire them to mine the richness and depth of their young life and hopefully use the storytelling style Nayeri employs to tell their own brand of story.
This book reads like a memoir and it is indeed mostly nonfiction; but, due to the nature of memory and the framework of storytelling, this book is a work of fiction. However, I labeled it as realistic fiction along with magical realism as it has just the right balance of both. Nayeri also weaves history into the stories that you may not realize you just learned an important historical fact.
The first thing one notices about the book is that it has no chapters, the second thing is that the stories feel like vignettes that seamlessly weave seemingly disparate stories with settings in so many different and sometimes exotic and quixotic places and so many fascinating characters. Nayeri knows how to weave the dichotomies of life: the Khosrou of Iran and the Daniel of Oklahoma, the mythical biological father in Iran and the flawed stepfather in the US, the well-heeled, physician mother in Iran and the financially strapped, devout Christian mother in the states. The lack of chapters does not bother me because every beginning of a new tale is marked by a 50pt font. You can’t miss it!
The stories are told from the point of view of Daniel who narrates the tales to his classmates as a means of finding his place in the school and in his new world. The stories are sometimes tragic and often comical. There’s a lot of scatological humor and much of it is a sharp cultural observation. For example, his dilemma about using the western toilet in his friend’s house versus the squat toilet he was used to is so funny and even funnier if one has experienced these same thoughts. This book is one I plan to use this summer when I teach at-risk students who are currently credit deficient in English. I think it will inspire them to mine the richness and depth of their young life and hopefully use the storytelling style Nayeri employs to tell their own brand of story.
Creative Use for a Library Program:
Host an evening of Storytelling in the library in collaboration with the English department. Use this book as inspiration for writing one’s own story.
Host an evening of Storytelling in the library in collaboration with the English department. Use this book as inspiration for writing one’s own story.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer:
When Khosrou arrives in Oklahoma from Iran via refugee camps in Italy and Dubai, we follow the complexity of his life and burdens made lighter by his ability to tell stories of his past. In Oklahoma, no one can say his name so he becomes Daniel and Daniel can tell stories about his family in Iran that rival old Persian tales. All Persians are liars, Daniel tells us, but listen closely and you might find truth instead.
When Khosrou arrives in Oklahoma from Iran via refugee camps in Italy and Dubai, we follow the complexity of his life and burdens made lighter by his ability to tell stories of his past. In Oklahoma, no one can say his name so he becomes Daniel and Daniel can tell stories about his family in Iran that rival old Persian tales. All Persians are liars, Daniel tells us, but listen closely and you might find truth instead.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
There is an animal death scene that’s graphically described yet there is no blood or gore; much of it is left to the reader’s imagination. There’s also the mention of drug trafficking with no negative repercussions. And there’s domestic violence and child abandonment issues. All these are dealt with grace and written quite sensitively that one would be hard pressed to accept this challenge.
There is an animal death scene that’s graphically described yet there is no blood or gore; much of it is left to the reader’s imagination. There’s also the mention of drug trafficking with no negative repercussions. And there’s domestic violence and child abandonment issues. All these are dealt with grace and written quite sensitively that one would be hard pressed to accept this challenge.
Reason for Inclusion:
First I thought it was nonfiction and but then the character, Daniel, is such a good story teller I decided this book had to be included just for that storytelling skill.
First I thought it was nonfiction and but then the character, Daniel, is such a good story teller I decided this book had to be included just for that storytelling skill.
REFERENCES
Chang, A. (2020, September 2). 'Everything Sad Is Untrue' is funny and sad and (mostly) true. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2020/09/02/908467288/everything-sad-is-untrue-is-funny-and-sad-and-mostly-true.
Kirch, C. (2021, January 26). Daniel Nayeri: Celebrating with a champagne shower. PublishersWeekly.com. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/85410-daniel-nayeri-celebrating-with-a-champagne-shower.html.
Lexile.com. (2020, September 18). Find books at the right level. Lexile Framework for Reading. https://hub.lexile.com/find-a-book/book-details/9781646140008
Villanueva, G. (2020, April). Everywhere Book Fest " Mission. Everywhere Book Fest Mission.https://everywherebookfest.com/about/mission/.
Kirch, C. (2021, January 26). Daniel Nayeri: Celebrating with a champagne shower. PublishersWeekly.com. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/85410-daniel-nayeri-celebrating-with-a-champagne-shower.html.
Lexile.com. (2020, September 18). Find books at the right level. Lexile Framework for Reading. https://hub.lexile.com/find-a-book/book-details/9781646140008
Villanueva, G. (2020, April). Everywhere Book Fest " Mission. Everywhere Book Fest Mission.https://everywherebookfest.com/about/mission/.
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