Notes from a Liar and Her Dog

LOVE this book. Like, need to rush out and buy my own copy right now love. Choldenko can turn from laugh-out-loud funny to heart-wrenching on a dime. And while I enjoyed Al Capone Does My Shirts, Ant's world in Notes From a Liar and Her Dog felt fully fleshed out and relatable. Others have complained about her mom being unrealistically harsh, but I thought Choldenko captured the way it feels to be a young, lonely girl perfectly. And even though I was hoping throughout that Ant's "real parents" would magically show up, the ending was of course better (and truer) than that (though perhaps a bit abrupt).

Ant, short for Antonia, is keenly aware that her mother finds her deeply annoying and uncomfortable to be around. She is so different from her sisters, "Her Highness Elizabeth" and Katy, that she becomes convinced that she's adopted. The saving graces in her life are her Chihuahua, Pistachio, her friend Harrison (with whom she swaps her great grades for his terrible ones), and a teacher, who goes by Carol ("Just Carol," as Ant always calls her). Just Carol gets work in a zoo for Harrison and Ant, but when Ant smuggles Pistachio into the zoo, endangering herself and the animals, she almost loses Just Carol's support. Choldenko catches the prickliness of adolescence, making Ant fearful and vulnerable as well as a sharp observer, show more particularly of adult frailties. As Ant eventually realizes, although Mother prefers the reflection of herself that she sees in her other two daughters, Ant is just as clearly her mother's offspring. Funny, moving, and completely believable, this is a fine first novel. Category: Books for Middle Readers--Fiction. 2001, Putnam, $18.99. Gr. 5-8. Starred Review (Susan Dove Lempke) (Booklist, Apr. 15, 2001 (Vol. 97, No. 16)) show less

Antonia “Ant” Mac Pherson is insecure in her role as middle child with two pefect sisters, Katherine and Elizabeth, a father who is always away on business trips, and a mother who never seems to be happy with anything Ant does. Ant lies a lot, insisting she is adopted. Her best friend Harrison, her old dog Pistachio, and her art teacher are her salvation.

The lesson about lying that is presented in this novel is what makes this a book every child should read. Ant is a fun, relatable character that readers can't help but fall in love with.

A very cute story about a girl finding out about the true meaning of friends and family... and how it feels to be loved less then your sisters. Most children can relate to this story... and most adults, too!