The Pudding Problem

Written and illustrated by Joe Berger

Part of the Lyttle Lies series

A boy's tangled lies threaten to unravel his innocence. Can he prove the truth?

3.8/5 Goodreads · 236 ratings

240 pages· 9,423 words· Est. 2 hour read

$13.99Save 4%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Sam Lyttle's imagination often leads to harmless fibs, but when a ping-pong ball is found in peanut butter, he's the prime suspect. As oddities pile up, Sam must confront his web of lies. With potatoes in the washing machine and his credibility on the line, he decides to reveal the truth. But is his confession just another twist in his tale? Dive into Sam's world where truth and lies blur, and discover if he can clear his name or if he's spun one lie too many.

From the publisher

A boy must untangle the web of lies he’s created in order to prove his innocence in this humorous and cheeky illustrated middle grade novel that’s perfect for “fans of Timmy Failure and Big Nate” (Kirkus Reviews). Sam Lyttle is prone to stretching the truth. Most of his lies are harmless; tall tales and the product of an overactive imagination. So when Sam is summoned to explain a strange discovery—a ping-pong ball in a jar of peanut butter—and denies involvement, no one believes him. Then more seemingly unrelated peculiarities emerge, and Sam categorically denies any knowledge of those, too. In between these mysterious accusations, and with evidence mounting against him, Sam ruminates on the different sorts of lies he has told using examples from his past. Meanwhile, two pounds of potatoes wind up in the washing machine. Sam comes to a decision: he decides it is time to come clean about this latest tangled web. He gathers his family to hear the truth. The whole truth. Or is it? Could it be that this final “truth” is, in fact, another lie?

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