Genre 2 Traditional Tales: Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters

1. Bibliography
McKissack, Patricia. 2006. Porch lies: tales of slicksters, tricksters, and other wily characters. Ill. by Andre Carrilho. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 9780375836190

2. Plot Summary
In this compilation of literary tales, McKissack takes the reader back in time to her grandparents' porch in Nashville, Tennessee. Inspired by the "porch lies" she heard as a child, McKissack crafts her original tales in the same style. Each short story has a "slickster" or "trickster" who could charm his or her way through any situation and who, in the end, usually teaches the reader a lesson. One tale seems to out-do another with one sly character seeming more outrageous than the next. Each story is set in the Depression era in the south, and all involve African-American characters.


3. Analysis
Each of McKissack's ten original stories seems to have an authentic tone. While the narration is not written in dialect, bits and pieces of Southern African-American vernacular are sprinkled in to the character's dialogue to give the stories some sense of legitimacy. As her stories were inspired by the "porch lies" she heard throughout her childhood, these tales would best be conveyed read aloud, as they lend themselves to great oral storytelling. The stories are filled with humor, wit, and of course many different sly characters. In Aunt Gran and the Outlaws, an old southern grandma outwits Jesse James and his brother, Frank. In The Devil's Guitar, the familiar theme of selling one's soul to the devil is explored. McKissack's stories are rooted in history with mentions of KKK-like groups, the outlaw Jesse James, and segregation and prejudice in the South. Her "slickters, tricksters, and other wily characters" are sure to please a wide audience.
Carrilho's imaginative and unique illustrations add another layer of enjoyment to McKissack's yarns. His caricature, cartoon style black and white illustrations superbly capture the essence of each "slickster."

4. Review Excerpts
Booklist - "Great for sharing, on the porch and in the classroom."
School Library Journal - "These 10 literate stories make for great leisure listening and knowing chuckles."
Horn Book - "Grandly melodramatic black-and-white illustrations capture the mood of the stories and the flavor of the period."

5. Connections
*Students can be encouraged to share family stories passed down to them.
*Allow students to perfect their oral reading skills by choosing and practicing an excerpt from their favorite story to read aloud to the class.
*Compare and contrast the different sly characters in each of McKissack's tales. What qualities do they all possess and what makes each of them unique?