Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Pages: Print 304
Release Date: June 5, 2018
Author: Kate Beasley
Rating: ★★★★★
Disclaimer: This review is solely my opinion. I received a free copy of this book while attending the Texas Library Association Conference in 2018. The opinions in this review are solely my own and do not reflect the views of the publisher or the author.
Synopsis:
Frederick Frederickson has a food-chain theory about life. There are lions, like the school bully. Gazelles, like the bullied kids. There are meerkats, and the fleas that live on the butts of meerkats. Frederick’s a flea.
Fifth grade is off to a terrible start when Frederick is sent to a disciplinary camp for troublesome boys. His fellow troop mates—Nosebleed, Specs, The Professor, and little-yet-lethal Ant Bite—are terrifying. But in between trust-building exercises and midnight escape attempts, a tenuous friendship grows between them. Which is lucky, because a Category 5 hurricane is coming and everyone will have to work together—lions and fleas alike—to survive!
*synopsis take directly from Goodreads.com*
Final Thoughts:
I first met Kate at a discussion panel at the Texas Library Association Conference this past April. I feel in love with her book then and new I had to attend her book signing. Lions and Liars is a creative novel that discusses the importance of friendship. Kate uses a variety of approaches to showcase the woes of friendships and the challenges each character must overcome. The main character Fredrick Frederickson is a charismatic self enthused young boy who wants to be seen as a lion. He wants to win so much that he starts to loose sign of what is important, friendships.
I actually selected this novel for my recent tween book club and they loved it. Some of course stated they were more a lion versus a flea. I would say I am a tie between a flea and a lion. I enjoyed the interaction between each character in this story and the relatable of each scene. Sometimes you want something so bad but in the end you realize that the thing you wanted wasn’t that important. Fredrick comes to that realization at the end of the story and finally understands what is important. I enjoyed watching him grow as a character throughout this novel. I actually really liked this book and am excited to read more books by this author.
So, if you are in the market for good middle grade read about friendship, camp, and surviving the odds, then this the book for you. It has mild language and content is appropriate for all ages.
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