Congratulations to Alison Cherry on her latest release, She’s the Liar (Scholastic Press). This middle grade book is about two sisters who transfer to a new boarding school where nobody knows them. Each sister sees this as an opportunity to reinvent themselves into someone they’d rather be, but neither knows of the other’s plan. 

Having a hard time making friends at her old school, shy Abby, reinvents herself as an outgoing, confident sixth grader and changes her name to Abbi with an “i.” Her older sister Sydney also reinvents herself as a confident, intimidating school leader. The sibling rivalry begins when both sisters want to be on the Officer’s Committee, which controls every aspect of extracurricular life. However, they’re conflicted on whether to help or hurt each other’s chances.

The dialog and inner thoughts of the girls are perfect for the middle grade reader. Written in alternating perspectives, the reader learns the true motives and insecurities of each sister and that there are always two sides to a story.