Liar, Liar: The Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Deception Paperback by Gary Paulsen (Yearling)

As a mother who screens everything her 12-going-on-13-year-old daughter reads, I've enjoyed Gary Paulsen's works tremendously. His "Brian" series is probably some of the best books out there about surviving in the wild, along with Will Hobbs and Andrew Clement's "A Week in the Woods"; and his writing would certainly appeal to those who enjoy Avi, and John Flanagan. "Liar, Liar: The Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Greed", though, was a surprising detour from the serious tone of the "Brian" books and read more like something Gordan Korman would have written. (Interestingly, Gordan Korman also write a book titled "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire", which I haven't read.) The humour in "Liar, Liar" was tempered with a clear moral agenda, which I appreciated; and the emphasis on family and personal morality first, and friends and opinions of others after is timely and (for me, the adult) sobering. It's a book that will make you laugh, but not in the same way as "No Dead Dogs" by Gordan Korman, for example. All in all, Gary Paulsen is a writer I would not feel a need to "screen" - I actually read his books because I, too, really enjoy his work! Said daughter's take on the book follows:

"The book, `Liar, Liar: The Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Greed' by Gary Paulsen, author of `Hatchet', is a fantastic book about one boy's discovery that honesty really is the best policy - and that telling the truth isn't the end of the world.

"Kevin has a big talent. Some might call it compulsive lying. He calls it common sense. But then he falls in love with his classmate Tina. Soon, Kevin's, ummm, falsehoods, spiral out of control as he tries to convince Tina that he is the perfect boyfriend for her. From catching an illness that involves night sweats, cotton mouth, hair loss, mood swings, rapid heartbeat, migraines and bleeding gums to convincing his friend that he has severe peanut allergies, will Kev be able to pull himself out of this mess?

"My favorite part was definitely when Kevin tells Katie about his `disease.' It was really funny to read about him listing all these different symptoms and Katie was like `oOmigosh - of course I will do your assignment for you!' However, I also liked the ending - I think that it was a perfect way to end the book.

"My favorite character in the story was Kevin. However, I doubt I would like him as much if he was my classmate in real life. But in the book, hearing his thoughts makes him easier to forgive.