Title: Little Black LiesAuthor: Tish Cohen
Publish Date: October 2009
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 320pp
IBSN: 1606840339
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Annotation: Sara Black, the new kid in town, fell into her first lie of being from London, England, when really she is from Lunden, Massachusetts. From then on, the lies escalated, turning from little white lies into big black lies, all in the name of fitting in.
Plot Summary: As the new eleventh grader at Anton High School, Sara Black just wants to fit in, especially because Anton High School is perhaps the most elite public school in the country. She figures by being the new student, she has the ability to fudge her previous life and dually hide her tarnished family past by telling a few white lies. Though, she runs the risk of breaking her fathers heart in doing so as her father is the janitor of the school and suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). When another social climber gets jealous of Sara, she decides to take on Sara’s stories, putting Sara’s reputation on the line.
Personal Response: I think this is a good read as it goes into detail about the pressures of fitting in, and the length teens go to make sure they are part of the in crowd. An interesting aspect of this novel was the description of the “in-crowd” in which were based on intellect, rather then the usual sports, good looking, cheerleader types. The students actions are formatted based on the pressures they face in order to succeed in life. The author keeps the readers engaged with all the predicaments Sara enters and provides meaningful lessons threaded throughout the story.
~Reader’s Advisory~
Themes: Awkward new student wants to fit in.
Age Range: 12 and up
Subjects: High School, Dysfunctional Family, Obsessive Compulsion Disorder, Friendship, Lying, Moving, Popularity, Outcast, Privilege, Mean Girls, Cliques, Love, Social Life
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