If Jacqueline Wilson's Cookie is a fluffy fairy tale with extra frosting, Karen Day's Tall Tales is a healthy loaf of bread.

Meg's family has moved yet again and she's having trouble, as always, making new friends. Especially since she can't seem to stop telling stories. Or are they lies? But it's better to make something up than tell people what's really going on in her family. When she finally makes a friend, she starts seeing what life could be like. But will she and her family have the courage to make changes?

This story of a family suffering with an alcoholic and abusive father doesn't sugar-coat the pain or demonize anyone. Meg and her family love their dad and they have good times and wonderful memories together. Meg's mother loves her family, but has made some bad decisions over the years and is suffering for them. As Meg and her family begin to break the silence that has imprisoned them, they begin to grow and change and hope. There are no easy answers and completely happy endings, but there's courage and a will to change.

Verdict: A good story for tweens who like strong realistic fiction that's not too graphic.

ISBN: 0375837736; Published May 2007 by Wendy Lamb; Borrowed from the library

Meg’s family moves constantly, trying to accommodate Meg’s alcoholic father’s desire for a fresh start. Meg is tired of moving and is embarrassed about her family. To compensate, Meg tells outrageous stories about her family. For the first time, Meg makes a friend, a very tolerant girl named Grace. Gradually, Grace and others learn the truth about Meg and her family, but Grace turns out to be more than a fair weather friend. ( )