The Liars Society

By Alyson Gerber

Informational Resources:

Author Information:
Alyson Gerber’s website
https://www.alysongerber.com/ 

Activities & Resources:

Curriculum Guide
https://school.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/activity_guides/71152.pdf 

Sailing:
Parts of a sailboat (7:26)
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=rxVpxuDOYtY 

Sailing terms
https://www.communitysailing.org/sail-away-get-started-with-sailing-terms/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA9IC6BhA3EiwAsbltONWqsZaArNXgI1NqP9mhQXMS-1REOv3wyqo7N_DStsI79mH3hOehChoC6-cQAvD_BwE 

Regatta preparation
https://sailzing.com/regatta-preparation-for-parents-and-sailors/ 

Racing rules of sailing (3:53)
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=vuQgxGQ1oDA 

Environmental concerns:
Pollution facts
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/pollution 

A student writes about corporate pollution
https://www.oneworldeducation.org/our-students-writing/corporate-pollution/ 

News clip of corporate pollution (1:06)
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=KN61t36rb1g 

Secret societies
Why are there secret societies?
https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-are-there-secret-societies 

Skull and Bones secret society
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Skull-and-Bones-Yale 

MakerSpace Activities:
Design a sailboat out of recycled materials. Test it in water to see if it floats and if the sails make the boat move. 

Paper sailboat craft:

https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/paper-plate-sailboat.html#google_vignette 

Weatherby and Jack had to solve anagram clues. Create anagrams for a friend to solve. 

Experiment with the force of wind
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/sealearning/grade-3/physical-science/forces-wind/activity-sailing-force-wind 

Use paper and pencil or a program like Canva to design and decorate a sailboat sail. 

Discussion Questions:

What does it mean to call sailing an “honor sport?” (page 5) 

Do you think Weatherby cheated? Why or why not? 

Do you agree with Weatherby’s decision to stay silent about her sails? Why or why not? 

What can you infer about Jack’s dad’s name on the building at Boston School? (page 25) 

Would you rather go to Boston School or South Middle? Why?

What are your impressions of Teddie? Do you think she is a good friend? 

On page 53, Jack says, “Nothing bad ever happens at Boston.” Why would he say this? 

Do you think secret societies like Lost Heir exist? Would you want to join? 

On page 76, Weatherby’s mom says, “You get to decide who you want to be. No one else.” What do you think about this? 

Why do you think the author chose to write the chapters in alternating points of view? 

How would you describe Weatherby, Jack, Teddie, and Pres? Are they only good or bad? Do you think anyone is truly “good” or “bad”? 

Jack and his dad often say “Trust before truth. Truth before tradition.” What does this mean? 

Do you think Harper was justified in taking the money? Why or why not? 

How would you describe Ford? Do you think he really cares about Jack? 

Weatherby, Jack, Harper, Pres tell each other that there are “no secrets among friends.” Do you agree? Why or why not? 

Why do you think the author chose to have the characters involved in sailing? Why not another sport? 

Jack says he doesn’t trust his dad anymore. Would you trust his dad? Why or why not? 

Should Weatherby’s mom have told Weatherby about her dad? Was she right to keep it a secret for so long? 

What were your predictions for the ending? Did you expect it to conclude the way that it did? 

Do you think The Liars Society will form their own secret society? What would you include in a sequel to this book? 

Book Talk Teasers:

Watch the book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60iRKT2ixN0&t=2s 

Read the reader’s theater for The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber.

Read Alikes: 

Patterson, James. Ali Cross. Published to coincide with the release of the 25th entry in Patterson’s best-selling Alex Cross thrillers, a series debut starring Alex’s son, Ali, follows his desperate search for a missing friend and clues proving his father’s innocence against a backdrop of neighborhood burglaries. (NoveList Plus)

Benedis-Grab, Daphne. I know your secret. Seventh graders Owen, Gemma, Ally, and Todd, who have nothing in common and barely know each other, must work together and follow the instructions of an anonymous blackmailer. None of them want to go along with the blackmailer's instructions, but each of them has a secret they must protect at all costs. (NoveList Plus)

Standish, Ali. The improbable tales of Baskerville Hall. While attending Baskerville Hall, a secret school for extraordinarily gifted children, Arthur Conan Doyle and his friends (and enemies) are invited into the Clover, an illustrious social club that requires them to pass three tests, an endeavor that leads them on a dangerous adventure. (NoveList Plus)

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. The school for whatnots. Delving into the power of privilege, the importance of true friendship and the question of humanity and identity, this novel follows fifth grader Max as he searches for his best friend who disappeared, leaving behind a strange note. (NoveList Plus)

Nobel, Julia. The mystery of Black Hollow Lane. Twelve-year-old Emmy investigates the connection between her father's disappearance and a secret society at her prestigious English boarding school. (NoveList Plus)

Reviews:

Kirkus Reviews (December 15, 2023)

Through lying by omission, Weatherby earns a scholarship to an elite school, where she’s ready to use her position for the greater good. The Boston School is proud of its sailing team. After Weatherby Walker wins a district regatta, beating Jack Hunt, who comes from one of the Boston School’s favored families, she’s offered a scholarship on the condition that she sail for the school. The only problem is, Weatherby accidentally used illegal sails that offered her an advantage. She decides not to admit her mistake; she’s desperate to attend Boston, her late, estranged father’s alma mater—especially since someone recently anonymously mailed her father’s old school journal to her. This is just the start of the mysteries and revelations to come, including ones that lay bare her family’s history and connections and deceptions by powerful people, all of which threaten ecological disaster. Everyone’s lying about something—and some of the lies are deadly. Last Heir, the Boston School’s elite secret society, seems designed to support corruption, indoctrinating generations of students and making them complicit. The chapters alternate between Weatherby’s and Jack’s perspectives; they’re both sympathetic characters from whom there’s much to learn about friendship and trust. This first entry in a new series sets up a solid premise, with white leads Weatherby and Jack and their somewhat racially diverse schoolmates confronting a powerful system. What happens next is left to be revealed in the sequel. Absorbing intrigue with a cliffhanger ending. (Mystery. 9-13)