Bringing Up Beauty

Caught in a Lie is about a teenage girl named Kimberly Rainer. Kim's desire is to be in the modeling/ fashion business. By following her dreams Kim gets herself into difficult situations. Some of them include, hiding information from her parents. Friends help her lie to her parents and keep secrets from lots of people. She never really cared how her grades were in school. At the end of the book Kim has to make a big decision but will she make the right choice? You have to figure that out for yourself.

"`Take an apple from the car then. Did you get your homework done? You know if you have trouble with math you can ask Dad.'
At the mention of homework my shoulders bunch. I hate when that happens. Deep breath, shoulders back, head up. `I didn't have any trouble,' I answered her. That's because I copied Steph's math. I have to say that my numbers were much neater - you could hardly read hers."

The two quotes above show how Kim tried to weasel her way out of school and she didn't really care what her grades were.

"I gave you glamour birthday shots just for fun, and always hoped that would be enough for you. You are beautiful and you don't have to prove it by modeling. Constantly competing with your looks only makes you feel less and less pretty."

This is a true statement because when you compete with your looks or try to look the prettiest it just doesn't work. One day you could have gained a couple pounds and your clothes don't fit right or you may have a pimple on your face. You will never look the prettiest but you can look your best.

There is also fashion quizzes occur throughout the book that Kim and her friends read. I enjoyed this because I am not into the reading fashion magazines but now I had a taste of the quizzes and they are ok, once in awhile. While you are reading the question you ask yourself , will I choose the same answers as Kimberly, or even fall into the same category?

I thought Caught in a Lie is the perfect title, because at the end Kimberly finds out a great life lesson that will be useful throughout her life. If Kim had listened to one of her best friends in the first place she wouldn't be living a lie.

So you are not left hanging to make your own assumptions about the book. Read the outstanding fiction book, Caught in a Lie, today!!!


Bringing up Beauty   June 4, 2000
Alex (Ontario , Canada)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

"Im not going to love you" are the first words Elizabeth Kerr says when she sees the black Lab puppy sitting in front of her cocking its head.

Bringing up Beauty is written by Sylvia McNicoli. It's a story about a 12 year old girl named Elizabeth. When her family decides to foster a black Lab puppy for the Canine Vision Center, thats when the trouble starts. From messed up art projects to accidents on neighbors carpets Elizabeth knows that bringing up Beauty will not be easy.

Elizabeth family just dont't have the time to help. Her mother is a enviromentel freak,older sister Debra is an artist and is to obssed with her boyfriend to care about what goes on in Elzabeth's life and her dad, well let's just say he loves computers.

Elizabeth sometimes feels that Beauty is her only friend, and she know soon she will have to give Beauty up.

I think it's a heartwarming tale about a girl and her dog who share more then just walks in the park This book is for ages 9-12 and specially priced 4.97 at Amazon.com published by Stoddart kids.