Bibliography:
McKissack, Patricia C. 2006. Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and other Wily Characters. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 139780375836190
Plot Summary:
McKissack tells 10 "porch lies" ranging from the sly and devilish Pete Bruce to the slickster-trickster Cake Norris. The "porch lies" come from stories McKissack heard told to her when she was young. The stories are fiction and original although they do draw from the African-American oral tradition.
Critical Analysis:
Although this collection of stories is meant for older readers, ages 8-12, it would have been nice if more illustrations were included. It seems that this book might be more appropriate for adults to read so that they may then orally retell the stories to children. The trickster stories themselves are very well told and read extremely well aloud. McKissack brilliantly captures the sound of spoken language in print, but it is hard for me to see children reading these stories on their own.
Although this collection of stories is meant for older readers, ages 8-12, it would have been nice if more illustrations were included. It seems that this book might be more appropriate for adults to read so that they may then orally retell the stories to children. The trickster stories themselves are very well told and read extremely well aloud. McKissack brilliantly captures the sound of spoken language in print, but it is hard for me to see children reading these stories on their own.
Review Excerpt(s):
Starred review in Booklist: "The nine original tales in this uproarious collection draw on African-American oral tradition and blend history and legend with sly humor, creepy horror, villainous characters, and wild farce."
School Library Journal: "Great fun to read aloud and the tricksters, sharpies, slicksters, and outlaws wink knowlingly at the child narrators, and at us foolish humans."
Connections: Read McKissack's The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural.
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