Frederick Frederickson is angry with his parents because they are canceling the family vacation cruise because of an impending hurricane. The upside is that he gets to go to his friend Joel's birthday party. The downside is that he is in a boat that gets caught in a storm, washes away overnight, and ends up at a camp for troubled boys. Everyone there assumes he is a camper named Dashiell, and he doesn't insist on setting them straight, so falls right into camp life with the other boys, all of whom have different issues. He manages to make friends, so when the hurrican hits camp, the boys all work together, and eventually Frederick gets back to his family.
Strengths: This has a great cover by Dan Santat (and Yoo's The Detention Club (2011)still circulates really well!), and is a solid, funny camp story.
Weaknesses: I could not get past the fact that Frederick was a missing child and no effort was made to get him back to his family. I'm not sure why this bothered me so much.
What I really think: This is a more of a fifth grade/elementary book; I'd like to see more middle grade books set in summer camp, but this didn't hit the right notes for me.

Lions & Liars is about a boy named Fredrick Fredrickson (his mom wanted him to have a name people would remember) and his theory of life, which is that your place in life is like the food chain.  At the top is a lion, like the popular kid who doesn't have to try to make friends- everyone gravitates toward him or her.  Fredrick, meanwhile, is the flea on the meerkat.  After being shamed by one of his friends at a party, Fredrick takes off in a small boat and finds himself downriver at a camp for boys needed reformation.  He is starving, and assumes the identity of the kid who didn't show up, Dash.  However, he soon learns Dash has a certain reputation, and Fredrick needs to hold that up by being a lion.  Things, of course, turn sour and take a turn for the worst when he becomes stranded in a category 5 hurricane, but he learns some important lessons about life along the way.

What I liked about this book is that it will appeal to my students, and even kids below.  I can't imagine it has a reading level over 4th grade, so it won't be hard to read and understand.  Fredrick tries to be someone he's not, which I know my kids can relate to, but he learns to accept who he is, good and bad.

A page-turner for elementary grade children, this book deals with issues most children can relate to --fitting in with other kids at school, feelings of inadequacy, and a desire for popularity. Frederick Frederickson, who is the center of the story, ends up in a "disciplinary" camp through a series of accidents and misunderstandings and decides to stay. The experience changes him in important ways and he grows in understanding of himself and others. Kids are likely to root for Frederick. Not too long, not too short, this book is perfect for readers who are beginning to read chapter books.

This was a fun adventure-style coming of age book underscored by some excellent comedic moments and some tense underlying issues about race and what the world sees when they look at 'troubled boys' and the assumptions they make because of it. Geared toward younger readers, but an enjoyable book for readers of all ages. Will definitely be recommending for purchase!

Quick and entertaining read that should appear to fun loving young readers fond of absurdist adventure stories