The Fish Who Cried Wolf

Written by: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

First line: Once there was a fish and his name was Tiddler.

Why you should read this book: A chronically tardy fish called Tiddler tells a series of increasingly unbelievable stories to explain his absence during roll call. Even though most of the fish don't believe his tales, they repeat them ad nauseum. When Tiddler actually has a legitimate absence, and finds himself lost far from home, he is able to make his way back home by tracing the course of his story, from teller to teller, across the ocean, until he makes it back to school as the bell is about to ring.

Why you shouldn't read this book: It sort of sends the message that lying will be rewarded, if you just lie well enough. Although maybe that's the foundation of western literature.