Author: Joe Berger
Illustrator: Joe Berger
© Date: 2017
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 229
Chapters: Kinda, broken into sections, but does not officially say “chapter”
Illustrations: Yes, graphic novel
Publisher Recommended Age: 8-12 years
Bonus Activities at End of Book: Yes, you can take Sam’s lie detector test
Summary from Book: Sam Lyttle is a BIG liar!
No, I am NOT a liar.
Well, maybe that’s not completely true.
To be frank, I sometimes tell the odd tall tale.
And I have been known to occasionally streeeeetch the truth.
In fact, if you look very closely, you’ll see the signs all around me…
But the truth is…complicated.
Page Pig Thoughts: I was not really sure that this book would be worth reading, but I am glad that I tried it. I quite enjoyed the amusing story of a boy with mostly good intentions that has issues with the truth. Sam’s avoidance of the truth really snowballs on itself and creates a problem big enough that Sam realizes further lies will not spare him from. With a little guidance and deal making from his grandfather, Sam finds his way to telling the truth.
Definitely worth noting is that the nuances of lying is presented at the end of the story. Sam’s mother tells his father that she doesn’t like his jazz guitar playing. Nothing else is said, so we don’t know if that creates issues for his parents or if being honest makes the situation better for everyone. But it would seem like honesty may not have been the best idea in that situation.
This was a fun story and seems like it would open a good conversation starter about lying/honesty. But use caution depending on where your child is on their journey of truthfulness.
Page Pup was also surprised by this one and gave it a thumb up.
Family Unit: Sam lives with his mother, father, angelic older sister, and grandfather
Conflict/Social Issues:
- Sam lies his way out of every situation that might get sticky from the truth.
- Sam’s lies have put him on the direct path of the school bully.
Positive Items:
- Sam wants to rescue a cat and uses his lying skills to keep the cat at home. So lying can be useful for more than hiding uncomfortable truths? Definitely an interesting conversation point.
- Sam does find his way to telling the truth with his family and feels a weight lifted. While his truthful moment did not last overly long, at least he finally tried telling the truth.
- Sam and his best friend, Charlie, watch out for each other. At the end of the story, Charlie helps Sam out with his master plan, even if it meant thinking that eating radishes was the same as eating chocolate bars.
Items of Interest:
- Sam’s grandfather is a magician and helps Sam hypnotize himself into thinking his sad packed lunch is a juicy cheeseburger.
- Sam tells a lie at school that winds up making his older sister lie, he does feel guilty about that one.
- The school bully and his dog appear like they are about to torture a cute cat at the playground. Sam wants to spare the cat from that fate, so he tells some lies to keep the cat at home.
- The bully is suspicious of the cat’s whereabouts but hadn’t found the exact evidence. The bully brings his dog to school in a muzzle and wearing a diaper.
- Sam uses hypnosis to make his best friend think that eating radishes is eating chocolate bars (oops). Then Sam hypnotizes the school bully into thinking that apples are nice, hot, juicy cheeseburgers.
- In the end, Sam tells the truth to his family because he made a deal with his grandfather. But Sam then can’t help but tell maybe another lie about the truth that he just told.
Other Books in Series (At Time of Posting):
- Book 2 – The Stinky Truth