Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters is a 2006 book by Patricia McKissack, and illustrated by Andre Carrilho, published by Schwartz & Wade Books. It is a collection of tales based on oral stories that McKissack heard from her grandfather and his friends when she was a child.

Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters
First edition
AuthorPatricia McKissack
IllustratorAndre´ Carrilho
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SubjectChildren's literature
Published2006 (Schwartz & Wade Books)
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages146
ISBN9780375936197
OCLC61278414

Reception edit

Booklist, reviewing Porch Lies, noted that "History is always in the background (runaway slaves, segregation cruelty, white-robed Klansmen), and in surprising twists and turns that are true to trickster tradition, the weak and exploited beat powerful oppressors with the best lies ever told."[1] and School Library Journal stated "they're great fun to read aloud and the tricksters, sharpies, slicksters, and outlaws wink knowingly at the child narrators, and at us foolish humans."[1]

The Horn Book Magazine, although finding two of the tales not having "the same snap" as one of the others, appreciated others by calling them "a real cliffhanger", "a hum-dinger" and another that "scores on its crafty staging".[2]

Porch Lies has also been reviewed by Kirkus Reviews,[3] Publishers Weekly,[4] Library Media Connection,[5] Journal of Children's Literature,[6] Reading Horizons,[7] and Teaching Pre K-8.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Porch lies : tales of slicksters, tricksters, and other wily characters". Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  2. ^ "Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters". kcls.bibliocommons.com. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  3. ^ "Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters". Kirkus Media LLC. August 1, 2006. Retrieved March 28, 2017. these tales all lend themselves to telling or reading aloud, and carry the common theme that even the worst rascals have saving graces.
  4. ^ "Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters (starred review)". Publishers Weekly. PWxyz LLC. July 10, 2006. Retrieved March 28, 2017. "Some folk believe the story; some don't. You decide for yourself." Readers of these spry tall tales will have a grand time doing just that.
  5. ^ "A Friendship for Today". kcls.bibliocommons.com. Retrieved March 28, 2017. This collection is a sheer delight to read and could encourage teachers, students, and parents to imaginatively compose tales of a similar genre (i.e., oral and dramatic fabrication of wily characters) in the tradition of this family's porch lies.
  6. ^ "Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and other Wiley Characters". Journal of Children's Literature. 33 (2): 19. September 2007. Retrieved March 28, 2017.[dead link]
  7. ^ "Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and other Wiley Characters". Reading Horizons. 47 (4): 343. March 2007. Retrieved March 28, 2017.[dead link]
  8. ^ "Real-World Classroom Aids". Teaching Pre K-8. 37 (4). Early Years Inc.: 38 January 2007. Retrieved March 28, 2017.[dead link]