Ant (short for Antonia) is sure she is adopted. She doesn't look anything like her mother or her sisters - or even her dad (who is away working too much). Ant's best friend is a boy called Harrison who draws chickens, and her dog Pistachio, a tiny ageing chihuahua, is her constant companion, but she feels that she just doesn't fit in. Ant's life meanders along until one day her lying starts to cause her, and those around her, some rather serious problems. Forced to face up to some of the things she has spent her life trying to hide from, in particular Ant has to come to terms with why she doesn't get on with her mother. An uplifting, exciting and truly original story.

For use in schools and libraries only. Eleven-year-old Ant, stuck in a family that she does not like, copes by pretending that her "real" parents are coming to rescue her, by loving her dog Pistachio, by volunteering at the zoo, and by bending the truth and telling lies.

Living in a family with two perfect sisters and parents who just don't get her, Ant MacPherson finds it easier to lie. After all, the only one who appreciates her is her dog, Pistachio. But when a concerned teacher sees the truth behind Ant's lies, it seems as though she might be in for a change . . .

Even though we instruct our children not to lie, the truth is that lying is a fundamental part of children’s development—socially, cognitively, emotionally, morally. Lying can sometimes be more compassionate than telling the truth, even more ethical. Reading specific children’s books can instruct child readers how to be guided by an etiquette of lying, to know when to tell the truth and when to lie. Equally important, these stories can help prevent them from being prey to those liars who are intent on taking advantage of them. Becoming a critical reader requires that one learn how to lie judiciously as well as to see through others’ lies. When humans first began to speak, we began to lie. When we began to lie, we started telling stories. This is the paradox, that in order to tell truthful stories, we must be good liars. Novels about child-artists showcased here illustrate how the protagonist embraces this paradox, accepting the stigma that a writer is a liar who tells the truth. Emily Dickinson’s phrase “telling it slant” best expresses the vision of how writers for children and young adults negotiate the conundrum of both protecting child readers and teaching them to protect themselves. This volume explores the pervasiveness of lying as well as the necessity for lying in our society; the origins of lying as connected to language acquisition; the realization that storytelling is both lying and truthtelling; and the negotiations child-artists must process in order to grasp the paradox that to become storytellers they must become expert liars and lie-detectors.

One hundred and fourteen authors and illustrators of children's books share the process of researching, writing, and publishing books, discuss what their inspirations are, and recount the best and worst advice they ever received.

A dynamic guide to more than 100 books that will get kids talking and reading more. How do children become good readers? In Reading Together, educational consultant Diane W. Frankenstein shares the secret: guiding children to find an appropriate book and talking with them about the story helps them connect with what they read. This engaging guide shares advice for parents, teachers, librarians, and caregivers on how to help children find what to read, and then through conversation, how to find meaning and pleasure in their reading. With more than 100 great book recommendations for kids from Pre-K through grade six, as well as related conversation starters, Reading Together offers a winning equation to turn children into lifelong readers. Some of the award-winning books discussed include Betty G. Birney?s World According to Humphrey, Gennifer Choldenko?s Notes from a Liar and Her Dog, and David Shannon?s Bad Case of Stripes.

Book clubs, literature circles, and reading groups are great ways to promote literacy and books to young readers. This new guide provides everything you need to run a dynamic, no-fuss book discussion group with elementary and middle school students. Featuring 15 titles of diverse genres, it offers discussion topics and activity ideas for some of the best new reads for kids. Brought to you by the authors of the highly acclaimed Reading Rules! Motivating Teens to Read, this guide is an outstanding resource for starting and running a stellar literary discussion group—whether it's in a school, public library, or community center. Grades 4-8.