Lions & Liars

April 23, 2018
Not much is likely to go well for a boy whose own parents named him Frederick Frederickson: even Frederick’s best friend, Joel, tells him, “You need to accept that life is going to be horrible for you.” So when an impending hurricane cancels Frederick’s favorite event of the year—a family cruise to the Caribbean—he is not overjoyed he’ll be home to attend Joel’s birthday party after all. Things go downhill quickly from there when, at the party, Joel’s prank to send Frederick on another cruise results in the boy accidentally falling into a rudderless boat; Frederick is saved from the alligator-infested waters only when he washes up hours later on the shores of a camp for troubled boys. Mistaken for a notorious camp veteran, Frederick has a brief turn at being a fearsome leader (the lion of the title). Over the course of the weekend—and many comedic interludes highlighting his ineptitude at competition—Frederick realizes he does not want to be king of the playground, the cafeteria, or anywhere else. He just wants a friend, but in order to have one, he will have to learn how to be one. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. Illustrator’s agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.

Narrator Robbie Daymond immerses himself in the characters of this audiobook. Frederick Frederickson is trying to change how people see him when he begins the new school year. However, things don't go as planned and only get worse. An incident leaves him washed ashore at a disciplinary camp, where he is mistaken for an especially troubled kid named Dash. Daymond credibly portrays each of the boys and his struggles. He wonderfully captures all the boys' complex emotions and hesitations as Frederick makes new friends and grows to understand that not all bad boys are all bad. A.M. � AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine