Notes from a Liar and Her Dog

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

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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, 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))

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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.

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,

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her old dog Pistachio, and her art teacher are her salvation.

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