Liar Liar succeeds by blending the frantic social panic of a lie spinning out of control with the chaos of a living puppet loose in a modern school. The snappy sibling banter and subverted fairy tale tropes create a high stakes comedy of errors. Books in this family share relatable embarrassments, secret magic, and fast paced plots centered on urban fantasy.
Reach for this book when your child is beginning to experiment with white lies or is struggling to understand the ripple effects of being untruthful. While the stakes of a growing nose are fantastical, the social embarrassment and the frantic need to cover up one lie with another are deeply relatable to elementary-aged children. This story provides a low-pressure way to discuss why honesty is often the easier path in the long run. In this sixteenth installment of the Whatever After series, siblings Abby and Jonah travel into the story of Pinocchio. Chaos ensues when the wooden puppet follows them back to the real world. As they try to hide a magical puppet in their modern school, they face the humorous and stressful reality of maintaining a massive secret. It is a lighthearted, fast-paced adventure that uses magic to mirror the very real anxiety kids feel when they aren't being fully honest.
