Rating: 
Summary: Raves from another middle school teacher
Review: Developing strong, three-dimentional characters is definately a gift that the Good Lord has decided to bless Gennifer Choldenko with. I've encountered many "counter-culture" teens like the main character, Ant (short for Antonia), who have the nicest parents, but seem troubled. Their dress, actions and attitudes seem to shout, "I don't care." Rather than take the "I don't care" exterior and run with it, Choldenko writes in the first person from Ant's point-of-view, so that we can see the contrast between what Ant says and what Ant does; what Ant's goals and dreams are and how her actions (especially her constant lies and deceptions) prevent her from achieving those dreams. Choldenko goes a step further, however. She doesn't focus on Ant as the cause of, and solution to all of her problems. She shows how her family contributes to, her problems through a lack of meaningful communication. Far from being a down and negative book however, it is written with a rather light-hearted tone. Choldenko includes many scenes inteded to put a smile on your face (the interactions with Harrison, for instance) and will quickly switch to a confrontation between Ant and her family. The contrast serves to strengthen the different emotions.I am seriously planning to assign this book to my sixth grade class to read. I think they'll like it and it looks like they'll be able to identify with many of Ant's problems/thoughts (thus, making for great discussions of the book). Unless I edit this review, assume that the book as assigned reading went VERY well.
Rating: 
Summary: Does the author really think that adoption is horrible?
Review: Does anyone else have a problem with the fact that this book's whole story is built upon the idea that biological children are always loved more than adoptive children, stepchildren, foster children, etc.? The fact that teachers are thinking of using this in a classroom without a second thought about the adoption issue tells me that this idea is just a given in life. Would it have really been more understandable and okay for Ant's parents to treat her worse and love her less than the others if she had been adopted? For many years people just accepted that fact that white people were smarter than black people were, blue eyed people were better than brown eyed, etc. These facts were turned into myths. It's time that the childhood taunt, "You're adopted" get put away. After all, if you were adopted, you know that you're parents really wanted you. If you are going to use this in a classroom, think about the what will happen to the self-esteem of the children not living with biological parents and how their peers will view their families. This would be a great opportunity to teach that "real" parents love their children with all their hearts no matter how they came to them.
Rating:
Summary: This book is..........
Review: Great! when I first started to read, I think that Gennifer make a wrong purpose, but not, after I finish the book I cried so hard. This book is very touching.I tell my school librarian Mrs. Ball to get this book to share to other kids and she said she will. My new school really need this book. Peoples you need to read this book! Ok its about Ant. Ant is a 12 years old, and she always got problem with her mother, I think her mother is right and wrong sometimes, and I also think that her mom always pick on her, she had two perfect sister one older one younger.Ant have her own personal world, yes she is a normal kid, she just think that because her mom is not nice to her and everything, so she always thought that she have a real mother that she was adopted, whch its not true. A book always have an happy ending.......but this one..... you gotta find out yourself! Excellent book! (spell check, I know I know!)
Rating: 
Summary: Great, but some drawbacks...
Review: Hi, I am a preteen who just read this book, Notes From a Liar and Her Dog, by Gennifer Choldenko. This is one of my favorite books and I couldn't put it down. So you are probably wondering why I only gave it 4 stars. This book is about a girl named Ant (a nickname for Antonia). She doesn't like her family and makes up a crazy story about how her "real parents" are going to come get Ant and her dog, Tashi (a nickname for Pistachio), the only "real" member of Ant's family. Ant is constantly getting in trouble, but when she's not, she's busy hanging out with her best and only friend, Harrison, going to the zoo to be a volunteer with Harrison and the art teacher, Just Carol, and participating in Math-A-Thons. There are some reasons why I only gave this book 4 stars, though. Number one, you can clearly see Ant loves her dog, Tashi, and her mother doesn't. So when Tashi gets sick, Ant takes him to the vet, without her mother's permission, and fills out a wrong address so they won't get billed. But later in the story, Ant's mother shows Ant's father a brochure about how old dogs don't like to go on long car trips, airplanes, etc. She tells Ant why she did this because she knew that if anything happened to Pistachio, Ant would never forgive her and her dad. What I don't get is how Ant's mother cares about the fact that Ant loves Tashi and she wouldn't want anything to happen to him, but when Ant wanted to take Tashi to the vet, Ant's mother said no. Another thing I didn't like about this book was when Ant brings Tashi to the zoo when she goes to be a Zoo Teen, I'm not going to give it away so I won't give full detail, something terrible happens to Tashi. Then, the next time Ant goes to the zoo, she brings Tashi and the same thing happens to him. I found having this happened twice was unneccessary and it was only to make the book longer. I found it quite boring because many of the chapters took place in the zoo and this crisis happening two times was unrealisitic and a waste of space. Finally, for most of the book, Ant hates her sisters, Elizabeth and Kate. Then, you can clearly see that Ant is beginning to appreciate her older sister, Elizabeth. Then at the last part of the book, Ant still insists that she doesn't like her sisters. So this leaves readers wondering if Ant has turned over a new leaf, concerning her sisters, especially for her older one. Other than those three things, this book will always remain one of my favorites.
Rating:
Summary: Really delightful for adults and children alike
Review: How often do you find a book that is written in exquisitely simple language and yet is psychologically very engaging? I must admit I don't read children's books a lot but I got this for my students.
Choldenko really gets inside the head of her heroine Ant MacPherson, who is convinced that the people she lives with are not her real family at all. The alienation from her parents and two sisters is so strong that the reader really feels for her, yet the overwhelming desire to understand the bizarre situation keeps you reading on.
The character development all around is magnificent, from Ant's super-lovable best friend Harrison to her miniature dog Pistachio to her teacher, her aloof Cinderella-style cruel sisters, her parents and Ant herself. This is also a book for dog lovers, who will understand the kind of bond that Ant shares with little Pistachio.
The only weakness in the book is that it gets a little pedestrian for a while during the first third, but really picks up and turns into a page-turner after that. Amazing work.
Rating:
Summary: 3, Yes Three Middle School Teachers Agree
Review: I also got this book on a recommendation but from a Scholastic rep. I bought a few for my class library and took it on a plane trip. I couldn't put it down. I have seen fewer books that are reading level appropriate for Grades 5 - 8 that are as well thought-out and developed in terms of story and characterization. I kept thinking about how hard it is to find books for girls this age, something interesting to them, something to relate to that "keeps it real," to use their own parlance-something that isn't about sex and romantic relationships. I am ordering a set for the classroom, it was absolutely fantastic. I have given it to one student and she immediately switched her book for an upcoming report. I really believe that if Ms. Choldenko continues to produce, she will find her place alongside authors such as Judy Blume, and Amy Tan. Surely, she is a good medium between the two. I have turned 3 adults onto it as well, they all love it. I teach English Language Learners and this is one of few books which has appropriate levels of diction and manages to do this without dumbing down the story or the outcomes. I cannot stop raving about it.
Rating:
Summary: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I asked for this book for my birthday because it had a 5-star average. IT IS SO GOOD!!! It starts with Ant and her friend Harrison. Instead of starting with some huge event, they start with something normal: Ant's mother is called to the principal's office to discuss why she tells everyone that she is adopted. I agree with the reviewer who said that this will go with Judy Blume. It is the best! STOP READING THIS REVIEW AND BUY IT!
Rating:
Summary: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I loved this book. The main character is so well drawn, such a unique but real individual, she comes alive on every page. I cared so much about her-- especially because I'm a middle child too-- that the last touching scene with her mother made me bawl. And I hardly ever cry when I'm reading. Also, it was a page turner. I stayed up much too late finishing it. It's so rare to find a book with great characterizations (and not just the protagonist, but her family, friends, and teachers too) and also a gripping plot, I reccommend it to children, teens, and even middle aged people like me.
Rating:
Summary: A great debut
Review: I read Gennifer Choldenko's debut after reading her second book, 'Al Capone Does My Shirts'. I can say she just keeps improving. She has not forgotten what it is to be a child, and she writes in a way that young people can relate to, as well as their parents, who can remember what it felt like to be that awkward adolescent.
Antonia "Ant" McPherson is a sixth-grader, the middle child surrounded by two "perfect" siblings. Her father changes jobs at the slightest whim, and has moved the family all over the country. All three daughters finally feel comfortable in their present town, even Ant, who has attached herself to a fellow misfit, Harrison, who has a pet chicken. Ant feels unloved and ignored by her parents, and is convinced she is adopted. She even starts telling everyone she is adopted, and she is waiting for her "real" parents to arrive any day.
Ant hides her frustration behind a web of lies, which begin to bury her. She is befriended by the young, idealistic art teacher, "Just" Carol, who lets Ant and Harrison be volunteers at the zoo. Ant creates self-fulfilling prophecies by telling her parents she is failing, even though she is the best math student in school. It seems that Ant wants to keep lying to her parents and to everyone, to avoid having to do anything to fit in with her "perfect" siblings.
Choldenko writes in a very entertaining style, and her stories are not sugar-coated or patronizing. Nothing happens that is from a fantasy world, and the feelings are real. We feel empathy for Ant, but we also feel she needs to stop lying and take responsibility for her actions. It is true to life with great lessons, and Choldenko is definitely one of the best writers for children today.
Rating:
Summary: Raves from a middle school teacher
Review: The school librarian recommended this book, but after the first few pages, I almost put it down because the simple language suggested a lower level than my seventh graders. I'm so glad I decided to stick with it. The main character, Ant, is so real that she practically jumped into three dimensions as I read. I've seen so many mismatches like Ant and her family that I'd say the situations, as quirky as they seem, are truly realistic and gave me a lot to think about. I can't wait to get my students' reactions to this terrfic, fast-paced read.
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