Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters

1. BIOGRAPHY
McKissack, Patricia C. 2006. PORCH LIES: TALES OF SLICKSTERS, TRICKSTERS, AND OTHER WILLY CHARACTERS. Ill. By Andre’ Carrilho. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 9780375936197

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This is a collection of ten short stories that reflects the author’s childhood memories of sitting on the front porch with neighbors and friends listening to them tell porch lies. Each story has its own story teller and ranges from being humorous, exaggerated to even bone chilling. These stories include tales about con-artist who win a bet by telling the truth, a mother being conned out of a pie, an old woman out-smarting outlaws, a woman being buried alive, the devil’s guitar, a house full of ghost, a man that died and his soul wasn’t wanted in heaven or below and many other stories that will catch anyone’s attention.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Patricia McKissack has written a brilliant collection of ten short stories from her childhood that has been passed down from generation to generation. These folktales are used to entertain and inform. Each story contains a moral, but the underlying theme is to show that good and honesty will always prevail against evil and deception. While enjoying these stories readers will also experience hints of African American History splattered throughout including concepts dealing with slavery, segregation, and oppression. The Characters are well rounded showing that they are both clever and intelligent. You will find throughout each story that the author has used southern dialect (“You forget yo’self, and “Chile it wasn’t what I did on Sunday, but what I did on Saturday landed me here.”) in every story to help set the tone. Before each story there is an excerpt that introduces who is telling the story and an element of foreshadowing that entices the reader to read on.
Carilho has used black and white illustrations to portray one piece of the text in each story. The illustrations have a cartonnish/somewhat portrait style look that gives the touch of realism to the pictures. The illustrations are nice to look at but they do not make the stories. Due to the fact these stories are good for oral reading; these stories can stand alone with or without the illustrations.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal: “These 10 literate stories make for great leisure listening and knowing chuckles.”
Horn Books: “It's a clever idea: McKissack presents ten original trickster stories tailored for children with a child narrator in each one, for immediate and lasting identification.”
Publisher Weekly: “Aunt Gran, slyly telling the James brothers a tale that will convince them to help her, notes, "Some folk believe the story; some don't. You decide for yourself." Readers of these spry tall tales will have a grand time doing just that.”



5. CONNECTION
After students have read these ten stories, have them write their own Porch Lies and share it with the class.
Other book(s) to read:
McKissack, Patricia. THE DARK-THIRTY: SOUTHERN TALES OF THE SUPERNATURAL.
ISBN 9780679890065