Liar, Liar

Liar, Liar: The Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Deception, written by Gary Paulsen and published in 2011, is the first book in the Liar, Liar collection. Subsequent books in the series include Flat Broke, Vote, Crush, and Family Ties. Paulsen, a three-time Newbery honoree and prolific writer of books for children and teens, won the Margaret Edwards Award in 1997 for his lifetime achievement in young adult literature. Liar, Liar is a humorous work of realistic fiction for middle grade readers. It tells the story of 8th grader Kevin Spencer and the agonizing week in which his habit of lying catches up to him. Kevin lies for selfish reasons until the consequences of those lies teach him about the importance of honesty and integrity.

This guide uses the e-book edition of the text published in 2011 by Wendy Lamb Books. Pagination may differ from print editions.

Plot Summary

Fourteen-year-old Kevin Spencer sees lying as a necessary way to make the world go around and keep everyone happy, and he’s very good at it. When he’s assigned to work on a project with Katie Knowles, the exasperating overachiever, Kevin uses his creativity and his memory for detail to convince Katie he’s got a terrible, untreatable illness.