The Entirely True Story of the Unbelievable FIB



Last updated Friday, September 29, 2017

Author: Adam Shaughnessy
Date of Publication: 2015
ISBN: 1616204982
Grade Level: 5th    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Oct. 2017

Synopsis: "What is the Unbelievable FIB?" That’s the question eleven-year-old Prudence Potts discovers on a baffling card no one else in Middleton--except ABE, a new kid at school with a knack for solving riddles--seems to see. Then a mysterious man asks for ABE and Pru’s help investigating mythical beings infiltrating the town, and that’s just the first of many things Pru finds hard to believe. Soon Pru and ABE discover another world beneath their quiet town, where Viking gods lurk just out of sight. And when the pair find themselves locked in a battle against a dangerously clever enemy, they must race to secure the Eye of Odin, source of all knowledge--and the key to stopping a war that could destroy both human and immortal realms. Author Adam Shaughnessy draws from classic lore to create a tale rich in puzzles, plot twists, charming characters, and sly humor in which uncertainty opens the door to magic and the last thing you should do is believe your own eyes.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Do you know any mythological characters?
•  Do you know any riddles?

Vocabulary

•  Fib-a lie about something that is not important.
•  Viking- one of the Scandinavians who raided or invaded the coasts of Europe in the 8th to 10th centuries.
•  Myth- a story often describing the adventures of superhuman beings that attempts to describe the origin of a people's customs or beliefs or to explain mysterious events.
•  Peril- the condition of being in danger or at risk.
•  Riddle- a baffling, misleading, or puzzling question presented as a problem to be solved or guessed.

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  If you were to enter a mythological world, how would it be like? Describe it?
•  Who is your favorite god or goddess? Thor, Loki?

Craft ideas:
•  Create a squirrel with pipe cleaners, toilet paper rolls, or construction paper.
•  Create a Vikings hat out of paper. https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/october-2017-halloween-magic-monsters/

Special activities:
•  Solve some riddles.
•  I have all the knowledge you have. But I am small as your fist that your hands can hold me. Who am I? Answer: I'm your brain!
•  I'm the most slippery country in the world. Tell what am I? Answer: Greece

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!