Lying to Children by Alex Shahla started out promising. It was lighthearted and humorous. However, once I read the chapter “If you eat too much candy, your teeth will fall out”, I realized this book wasn’t for me. The thought of a grown man going to an egg/silly-string/toilet paper war with pubescent boys and having to get rescued by the fire department after climbing too high in a tree, even a fictional character, was too much. The stories stayed at the level of absurdity reminiscent of a bad sitcom or one of those frat-boy-rejects-adulthood movies. The father wasn’t likable, and the relationship between him and his wife wasn’t believable. This wasn’t my kind of humor. Because the stories and his character traits stuck with that pattern, I DNF at 51%.

My appreciation to Alex Shahla for the Goodreads Giveaway and free Kindle edition. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. I think it’s important to note that these are letters the author wrote from a fictional dad to his children. It is not a novel where you read about this family from the birth of Annabelle to her going off to college. It is letters where the dad tries to explain his side of various memories. They were funny. I read them a bit each morning with my coffee. They helped brighten up a year that has been tremendous. What stood out to me the most was the love this dad has for his family. That might be lost in reading these letters. Some may think the dad is over the top or trying to hard for laughs. What I found was a dad who was being real. He was writing to his children in the way they would recognize him. He was telling them not only of his love for them but also his love for their mother. I found it very relatable. It reminded me of the Erma Bombeck books my mom had. I read those at 13, before having my own children. I remember enjoying them so much because they felt real. That is the feeling I had reading this book. This is a real, (but fictional), dad talking to his real, (but fictional), children. I loved reading this each day and am a bit sorry that I am at the end of the book. Read the book and enjoy his fictional memories. I’m sure you will laugh and you might even remember similar things that happened in your family. You might be inspired to write a letter or two to your own children.
I am grateful to have won an electronic copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. I voluntarily reviewed this book because I enjoyed it. I hope you do, too. ( )

This was a light and amusing book. It is presented as a father telling a series of stories about parenthood to his college age children. It does not read as a story/novel - you could easily read one chapter here an there when you wanted a little laugh or pick me up. I won a copy of this book from Goodreads. ( )

Lying to Children by Alex Shahla had me laughing on page 1, and I really did not stop until the end. The book reads more like a collection of essays with a memoir like quality than a novel to be read beginning to end. I relate to the narrator and the situations. I laugh...a lot. I look forward to sharing this book with my children as the “other side of the story” to childhood.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/07/lying-to-children.html

Reviewed for NetGalley ( )

Lying to Children is truly a not to be missed, one of a kind book! I literally could not stop laughing. Just when I thought I was done, I would read another quote that would have me laughing all over again. Quotes like:

"In the game of life, there are winners, there are losers, and then there are those people who are too stupid to find the stadium."

"Sorry to disappoint, kids, neither one of you was adopted. You are both members of my gene pool. And what a dirty pool it is."

Each chapter focuses on a different lie:

Daddy Loves his Job
We can't have a puppy
If I kiss it, it will make it better (I still believe in the power of a kiss makes boo boos better)
If you put a tooth under your pillow, a magical fairy will bring you money
There is a bunny who brings you presents on the day Jesus rose from the dead
If you eat too much candy, your teeth will fall out
You can be anything you want to be
There is a fat jolly man who brings you presents (assembly required)
The dog went to live on the farm with your goldfish where they'll have more room to run around
Those are Daddy's cookies
The enemy of your enemy is still your enemy
Daddy loves going to Grammy and Grandpa's house
The doctor is not going to hurt you
Always take the high road, because that is what I did
I'm happy you moved out of the house and are going to college

In each chapter, you will learn why Annabelle and Peter's father "lied" to them. Oh, and did you know that Elf on a Shelf actually works for Vladimir Putin. Yes, he is a Russian spy (he is evil). Plus, why do commercials for places like Sonic get advertised in areas that have no such places. Don't forget that a child's first word should not be "puppy" but maybe "goldfish".

There is so much more I could go on about this book but I will just leave it at you need to pick up a copy for yourself. You will not regret it. In fact, you will be thanking yourself that you made a smart choice.