“Frederick Frederickson was thinking about strawberry daiquiris when the dodgeball slammed into his face.”

From Kate Beasley’s Lions & Liars.

Ten-year-old Fredrick is having a bad week. He got a bloody nose playing an illegal game of dodgeball at recess because he wanted to beat the popular Devin at something, but Fredrick and his friends, Joel and Raj, lose terribly.  Then at lunch, Joel announces that Fredrick and his friends are gazelles (that never win) and fleas (lowest of the low), while people like Devin are lions (kings and winners).  Fredrick and his family are preparing for his family’s annual Labor Day vacation cruise, but a hurricane at sea has killed the cruise plans. Since they’re not going on vacation, Fredrick is able to go to Joel’s birthday party even though he doesn’t want to go after Joel said he was a flea. When a joke turns into an argument that turns into Fredrick being trapped in a boat drifting down the Omigoshee River, the lost Fredrick finally runs aground at Camp Omigoshee. When a counselor assumes Fredrick is a camper, he takes the chance to be somebody great for a change and lets everyone think he’s Dashiel Blackwood. Fredrick’s assigned to Group 13 with four other boys: Nosebleed, Ant Bite, Specs, and The Professor. Fredrick is confused by the camp’s strict rules, until he realizes that it’s a disciplinary camp for boys and he’s assumed the identity of a notoriously bad kid. Now he’s stuck at camp with no cell service, unbelieving counselors, bad kids that maybe aren’t that bad, and an approaching hurricane, Fredrick quickly finds himself trapped in his ever-growing lie.

Beasley’s comedic (mis)adventure story is captivating and engaging for readers of all ages. The characters and their emotions are relatable, and the illustrations scattered throughout the book are an added bonus. Lions & Liars is a read that’s the perfect balance of fun and heart.