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Dear Diary #6
The Lie
Procrastination leads to plagiarism for Lizzie when, in order to hand her big research paper in on time, she copies one of her older brother's papers, and is shocked when the teacher wants to publish it in the school paper
122 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1991
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January 16, 2023The Lie (Dear Diary)
Lizzie falls asleep in history class, only to wake up and find the kids laughing at her. Nancy on the way home tries to make her feel better and says that if she does well on the term paper they’ll forget all about it. Nancy goes over to the Miletti’s. She’s eager to start on her term paper but Lizzie really isn’t in a hurry. History is her worse subject. But Nancy goes on and on about it. She says maybe she’ll do her paper on George Washington. Lizzie tunes her out and starts to daydream about redecorating her room. She suggests that Lizzie do hers on the Industrial Revolution.
At lunch Nancy says she’s changed her mind and would rather do a famous historical woman. She asks Lizzie who she’s picked but she says she hasn’t decided. Sam and her friends come sit at their table and start talking about cute boys (Robert, Billy). Nancy asks if she wants to go to the library that afternoon to work on their paper. Lizzie says yes but is more interested in Billy Watts. At the library, Nancy tells Lizzie to just wander around. Sometimes a great topic will just hit you. But Lizzie heads for the teen magazine section and starts reading an article about how to talk to boys. She gets a chance to try out the writer’s tips on a cute boy that comes in the library and they start talking about collecting rocks and crystals. They talk and talk and talk. Until his girlfriend comes over and pulls him away. Lizzie doubts after this the author knew what she was talking about. Nancy is getting so much done. She’s narrowed down who she wants to research and started her research. Lizzie gets *nothing* done.
Lizzie goes to visit Gram over the weekend. She asks her if she’s interesting and Gram says yes. She tells Gram about the article she read and Gram says that if she’s nervous think about the boys. They’re just as nervous. Nancy comes back from her dad’s with the news that they want to do something special for her (piano lessons). Neither of them thinks this is special. Nancy has no musical talent whatsoever! But neither of them took piano and they regretted it. Lizzie thinks it won’t be so bad. Nancy says she’ll be taking lessons from Mrs. Stoker. Lizzie says Adamn took lessons from her and only lasted 3 weeks. Nancy asks if she’s nice and Lizzie lies and says she’s an excellent teacher. She says she’ll probably start her off slow and it’ll probably be easy. Nancy then invites Lizzie to go with her.
The lesson goes bad. Mrs. Stoker is a stern lady with pink hair and a yappy-ish dog. Then Mrs. Stoker doesn’t know that she can’t read music. But she says she’ll start her from the beginning. But the end of the lesson, Nancy knows piano playing isn’t for her! Nancy reminds her that they have to bring in note cards the next day. Nancy asks what her topic is and Liz says The Civil War. It starts to rain later and Lizzie’s mind wonders, Before she knows it it’s 10:00, and Nancy calls. Lizzie lies and says she has her cards ready. So, Lizzie finds her encyclopedia and finds a ton of information, but she gets distracted watching television. Then it’s bedtime and she just decides that she’ll have to make up something to tell her teacher.
The next day starts back. Lizzie oversleeps and her shoelace snaps. She has to run to school in the rain and her hair gets frizzy. She hasn’t yet thought of a good excuse. Mr. Burrows goes around the class. Lizzie decides to say she left her notes at home, but as he gets to Lizzie 4 other people have said they left their notes at home. So, Lizzie says her notes are on her computer and she didn’t get a chance to print them off because she ran out of ink. She says she has it saved on a disk. It works and he says he’s done this himself just don’t let something happen to the disk. Nancy is a little harder to convince.
That night, Lizzie goes to the library to study but again she gets nothing done. She doesn’t tell Nancy either. Billy shows up (no more said). Lizzie is so busy helping Billie with trying to get information about Benjamin Franklin she neglects her own research. Afterward, Nancy asks if Lizzie needs to get home to type up her notes or does she want to go get a soda. Lizzie goes. It’s late when she gets home but she knows she has to put in some work. Nancy’s called and wants her to go to her piano lesson the next day.
The next day, Lizzie uses the same excuse. Everyone else turns something in. But Mr. Burrows is skeptical. He excuses her to go get some paper. Nancy is supposed to be playing “March of the Snowflakes” but she hasn’t practiced. Lizzie tunes them out and thinks of her paper. After it’s over, Mrs, Stoker encourages her to practice, but Nancy knows she’s not getting any better. Lizzie truthfully says she’ll never get better if she doesn’t practice. Nancy suggests they go to Zephyers (even though they’re supposed to go get computer paper). Nancy says she might have to start taking the lessons seriously. Then they stop at a hamburger joint. Gram comes over that night and after her mom asks about her homework. She lucks out because she ran into her teacher and he said she could hold off on the notes because the rough draft is due in a few weeks. Nancy finds out she’s going to have a recital.
Nancy gets a call from Cindy (Samantha’s little sister) and finds out she’s her partner for the piano recital. So, Lizzie goes with Nancy to Samantha’s house. After the lesson, Nancy confronts Lizzie about her paper and calls her out on the fact that she’s been making excuses and she didn’t buy it that the paper was stuck on her computer. Nancy makes Lizzie go to the library, Nancy goes to check on someone but Lizzie runs into a girl she knew from the corral (Trina). Trina is about to get Lizzie go come to the car to speak to her twin, but the librarian comes over and tells them to keep it down. Lizzie tho agrees to go with her for a minute. Trina tells her she should come with them to the new snack place up the street. She says she would but she’s with a friend. Trina tells her to leave a note. They’re gone 2 and a half hours. Nancy is furious when Lizzie calls later. She tries to explain but Nancy says she’s on her own with her paper.
Lizzie’s work slides even more. She says she’ll make it up after Nancy’s recital. Nancy is nervous, the day of the rehearsal for the recital. But, Nancy is much better because she’s been practicing. While, Sam waits and tries to read about the Civil War, Sam engages her in a conversation about fashion trends, Nancy asks did she get a lot of research done and Lizzie lies and says tons. Sunday, Lizzie takes the phone off the hook hoping it’ll motivate her. Then a lot of people start calling afterward. Before Lizzie knows it (it’s) late. Lizzie’s mom tells her she looks a little pale and to get some sleep. It’s right then that she decides she’s going to fake sick so she won’t have to go to school. Lizzie sleeps all morning. Nancy comes by later with her homework. Nancy tells that Mr. Burrows is going to be gone all next week. But the term papers are still due next week. Lizzie tells her she has a headache and Nancy says she has to go home anyway and practice for the recital. Lizzie says she’ll go with her to the recital. The day of, Nancy's nerves are already on edge when Candace, Samantha, and Jessica show up and give her a hard time. A little girl even has something to say about the “baby-ish” piece chosen for them. Nancy tho is great and never misses a note. She admits it was kind of fun!
The day after tomorrow is when the paper’s due, and Lizzie still doesn’t have a topic. But she’s not the only one Sam, Candace, and Jessica aren’t ready either. Lizzie goes to the library but there aren’t any reference books on the Civil War. Then she goes to the bookstore but there aren’t any there either. The lady says she could order her some but they won’t arrive for a week. When she gets home, Nancy calls and says she finished her paper. Darcy wants Lizzie to make her friend a costume since she made her a Snow White costume for a play. Lizzie helps her find the costume and then finds some old papers from Josh. She finds a term paper .. on the Civil War. Lizzie knows that using the paper will be staling but if she doesn’t take it she’ll fail. She decides even tho it’s wrong, she’ll use the paper.
The teacher looks at the paper and says it looks like it was typed. He thought she used a word processor. She just says her computer was out again. Afterward, they go to Zephyrs to celebrate. Nancy gives Lizzie the good news that she had a talk with her parents and she doesn’t have to take piano anymore. Then she says isn’t it ironic that they were both worried about things and they turned out ok. When the term papers are passed back. Lizzie starts to get nervous he picks out one paper and says it stood out. But he says it's one of the best papers he ever read and compliments her. Lizzie gets an A plus. After school, he tells her the paper was good that he wants it to be in the literary magazine. She’ll be a published author.
Lizzie invites Nancy over and confesses. She knows she can’t take the chance that Josh will recognize it or that one of his teachers will. Nancy tells her she has to tell the truth. But Lizzie won’t do it. So, she and Nancy avoid each other for over a week, She goes to Gram and asks what would she do if she had a cloud hanging over her. Gram says she thinks Lizzie knows what to do deep down. She finally does confess He says he’ll have to tell her mom and the principal. When they’re all gathered. Lizzie tells him she just didn’t want to do it so she put it off. She gets to do another paper in a month and it’ll be lowered by two grades.
My Thoughts
This one kind of drug because the whole book was Nancy NAGGING Lizzie and Lizzie put off the paper (OVER AND OVER AND OVER). I kinda get why because I was never really into history. But the author must clearly be because I noticed that I think in a bunch of these books history is the ONLY class that it focuses on. Toward the middle of the book, Nancy started to get on my NERVES. I have a best friend that’s into history but when we were in school, he wasn’t constantly “reminding” me about assignments and how far I’d gotten on them. I actually don’t even remember us talking about schoolwork *that* much (if any). I know it’s been YEARS! I don’t think I could have had a friend like Nancy because my patience would have worn VERY thin. I think that’s because I’ve noticed this about me. Things that repeat over and over and over with me don’t work with me. If you tell me to do something you don’t have to give me a million reminders. IF I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it. All that does is IRRATE me. It might “seem” helpful but it really isn’t. I actually understood why Lizzie kept putting the assignment off. It wasn’t even interesting to read about. It’s also weird how in pre-teen books they usually develop a conscious and tell on themselves. LOL, This was *NOT* the case when I was in middle and high school. As a matter of fact, I remember in a science class of mine in school when THE WHOLE CLASS was cheating. The teacher walked out the room and all kinds of books and notes were being opened and slid out. Then someone would look out the door and the teacher would walk back in and everyone would slide stuff back and hide it from view. Now, do you REALLY think any of us went back to the teacher days later and said “Mr. Gainey I need to tell you something?” RIIIGHT! When I did try to cheat (the time I remember doing it on my own) I actually got caught. I didn’t TELL ON MYSELF. Yes, I know “it’s the right thing to do” and all that but STILL, I’m just saying. Lizzie could have just idk turned it down to have it published. They could have without her permission. Just a thought. But the lesson is just don't cheat if you know you don't have the heart for it.
Rating: 5
There weren’t even any good Roth Food Creations in this one. In this series, it’s one of the things I look forward to.
Lizzie falls asleep in history class, only to wake up and find the kids laughing at her. Nancy on the way home tries to make her feel better and says that if she does well on the term paper they’ll forget all about it. Nancy goes over to the Miletti’s. She’s eager to start on her term paper but Lizzie really isn’t in a hurry. History is her worse subject. But Nancy goes on and on about it. She says maybe she’ll do her paper on George Washington. Lizzie tunes her out and starts to daydream about redecorating her room. She suggests that Lizzie do hers on the Industrial Revolution.
At lunch Nancy says she’s changed her mind and would rather do a famous historical woman. She asks Lizzie who she’s picked but she says she hasn’t decided. Sam and her friends come sit at their table and start talking about cute boys (Robert, Billy). Nancy asks if she wants to go to the library that afternoon to work on their paper. Lizzie says yes but is more interested in Billy Watts. At the library, Nancy tells Lizzie to just wander around. Sometimes a great topic will just hit you. But Lizzie heads for the teen magazine section and starts reading an article about how to talk to boys. She gets a chance to try out the writer’s tips on a cute boy that comes in the library and they start talking about collecting rocks and crystals. They talk and talk and talk. Until his girlfriend comes over and pulls him away. Lizzie doubts after this the author knew what she was talking about. Nancy is getting so much done. She’s narrowed down who she wants to research and started her research. Lizzie gets *nothing* done.
Lizzie goes to visit Gram over the weekend. She asks her if she’s interesting and Gram says yes. She tells Gram about the article she read and Gram says that if she’s nervous think about the boys. They’re just as nervous. Nancy comes back from her dad’s with the news that they want to do something special for her (piano lessons). Neither of them thinks this is special. Nancy has no musical talent whatsoever! But neither of them took piano and they regretted it. Lizzie thinks it won’t be so bad. Nancy says she’ll be taking lessons from Mrs. Stoker. Lizzie says Adamn took lessons from her and only lasted 3 weeks. Nancy asks if she’s nice and Lizzie lies and says she’s an excellent teacher. She says she’ll probably start her off slow and it’ll probably be easy. Nancy then invites Lizzie to go with her.
The lesson goes bad. Mrs. Stoker is a stern lady with pink hair and a yappy-ish dog. Then Mrs. Stoker doesn’t know that she can’t read music. But she says she’ll start her from the beginning. But the end of the lesson, Nancy knows piano playing isn’t for her! Nancy reminds her that they have to bring in note cards the next day. Nancy asks what her topic is and Liz says The Civil War. It starts to rain later and Lizzie’s mind wonders, Before she knows it it’s 10:00, and Nancy calls. Lizzie lies and says she has her cards ready. So, Lizzie finds her encyclopedia and finds a ton of information, but she gets distracted watching television. Then it’s bedtime and she just decides that she’ll have to make up something to tell her teacher.
The next day starts back. Lizzie oversleeps and her shoelace snaps. She has to run to school in the rain and her hair gets frizzy. She hasn’t yet thought of a good excuse. Mr. Burrows goes around the class. Lizzie decides to say she left her notes at home, but as he gets to Lizzie 4 other people have said they left their notes at home. So, Lizzie says her notes are on her computer and she didn’t get a chance to print them off because she ran out of ink. She says she has it saved on a disk. It works and he says he’s done this himself just don’t let something happen to the disk. Nancy is a little harder to convince.
That night, Lizzie goes to the library to study but again she gets nothing done. She doesn’t tell Nancy either. Billy shows up (no more said). Lizzie is so busy helping Billie with trying to get information about Benjamin Franklin she neglects her own research. Afterward, Nancy asks if Lizzie needs to get home to type up her notes or does she want to go get a soda. Lizzie goes. It’s late when she gets home but she knows she has to put in some work. Nancy’s called and wants her to go to her piano lesson the next day.
The next day, Lizzie uses the same excuse. Everyone else turns something in. But Mr. Burrows is skeptical. He excuses her to go get some paper. Nancy is supposed to be playing “March of the Snowflakes” but she hasn’t practiced. Lizzie tunes them out and thinks of her paper. After it’s over, Mrs, Stoker encourages her to practice, but Nancy knows she’s not getting any better. Lizzie truthfully says she’ll never get better if she doesn’t practice. Nancy suggests they go to Zephyers (even though they’re supposed to go get computer paper). Nancy says she might have to start taking the lessons seriously. Then they stop at a hamburger joint. Gram comes over that night and after her mom asks about her homework. She lucks out because she ran into her teacher and he said she could hold off on the notes because the rough draft is due in a few weeks. Nancy finds out she’s going to have a recital.
Nancy gets a call from Cindy (Samantha’s little sister) and finds out she’s her partner for the piano recital. So, Lizzie goes with Nancy to Samantha’s house. After the lesson, Nancy confronts Lizzie about her paper and calls her out on the fact that she’s been making excuses and she didn’t buy it that the paper was stuck on her computer. Nancy makes Lizzie go to the library, Nancy goes to check on someone but Lizzie runs into a girl she knew from the corral (Trina). Trina is about to get Lizzie go come to the car to speak to her twin, but the librarian comes over and tells them to keep it down. Lizzie tho agrees to go with her for a minute. Trina tells her she should come with them to the new snack place up the street. She says she would but she’s with a friend. Trina tells her to leave a note. They’re gone 2 and a half hours. Nancy is furious when Lizzie calls later. She tries to explain but Nancy says she’s on her own with her paper.
Lizzie’s work slides even more. She says she’ll make it up after Nancy’s recital. Nancy is nervous, the day of the rehearsal for the recital. But, Nancy is much better because she’s been practicing. While, Sam waits and tries to read about the Civil War, Sam engages her in a conversation about fashion trends, Nancy asks did she get a lot of research done and Lizzie lies and says tons. Sunday, Lizzie takes the phone off the hook hoping it’ll motivate her. Then a lot of people start calling afterward. Before Lizzie knows it (it’s) late. Lizzie’s mom tells her she looks a little pale and to get some sleep. It’s right then that she decides she’s going to fake sick so she won’t have to go to school. Lizzie sleeps all morning. Nancy comes by later with her homework. Nancy tells that Mr. Burrows is going to be gone all next week. But the term papers are still due next week. Lizzie tells her she has a headache and Nancy says she has to go home anyway and practice for the recital. Lizzie says she’ll go with her to the recital. The day of, Nancy's nerves are already on edge when Candace, Samantha, and Jessica show up and give her a hard time. A little girl even has something to say about the “baby-ish” piece chosen for them. Nancy tho is great and never misses a note. She admits it was kind of fun!
The day after tomorrow is when the paper’s due, and Lizzie still doesn’t have a topic. But she’s not the only one Sam, Candace, and Jessica aren’t ready either. Lizzie goes to the library but there aren’t any reference books on the Civil War. Then she goes to the bookstore but there aren’t any there either. The lady says she could order her some but they won’t arrive for a week. When she gets home, Nancy calls and says she finished her paper. Darcy wants Lizzie to make her friend a costume since she made her a Snow White costume for a play. Lizzie helps her find the costume and then finds some old papers from Josh. She finds a term paper .. on the Civil War. Lizzie knows that using the paper will be staling but if she doesn’t take it she’ll fail. She decides even tho it’s wrong, she’ll use the paper.
The teacher looks at the paper and says it looks like it was typed. He thought she used a word processor. She just says her computer was out again. Afterward, they go to Zephyrs to celebrate. Nancy gives Lizzie the good news that she had a talk with her parents and she doesn’t have to take piano anymore. Then she says isn’t it ironic that they were both worried about things and they turned out ok. When the term papers are passed back. Lizzie starts to get nervous he picks out one paper and says it stood out. But he says it's one of the best papers he ever read and compliments her. Lizzie gets an A plus. After school, he tells her the paper was good that he wants it to be in the literary magazine. She’ll be a published author.
Lizzie invites Nancy over and confesses. She knows she can’t take the chance that Josh will recognize it or that one of his teachers will. Nancy tells her she has to tell the truth. But Lizzie won’t do it. So, she and Nancy avoid each other for over a week, She goes to Gram and asks what would she do if she had a cloud hanging over her. Gram says she thinks Lizzie knows what to do deep down. She finally does confess He says he’ll have to tell her mom and the principal. When they’re all gathered. Lizzie tells him she just didn’t want to do it so she put it off. She gets to do another paper in a month and it’ll be lowered by two grades.
My Thoughts
This one kind of drug because the whole book was Nancy NAGGING Lizzie and Lizzie put off the paper (OVER AND OVER AND OVER). I kinda get why because I was never really into history. But the author must clearly be because I noticed that I think in a bunch of these books history is the ONLY class that it focuses on. Toward the middle of the book, Nancy started to get on my NERVES. I have a best friend that’s into history but when we were in school, he wasn’t constantly “reminding” me about assignments and how far I’d gotten on them. I actually don’t even remember us talking about schoolwork *that* much (if any). I know it’s been YEARS! I don’t think I could have had a friend like Nancy because my patience would have worn VERY thin. I think that’s because I’ve noticed this about me. Things that repeat over and over and over with me don’t work with me. If you tell me to do something you don’t have to give me a million reminders. IF I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it. All that does is IRRATE me. It might “seem” helpful but it really isn’t. I actually understood why Lizzie kept putting the assignment off. It wasn’t even interesting to read about. It’s also weird how in pre-teen books they usually develop a conscious and tell on themselves. LOL, This was *NOT* the case when I was in middle and high school. As a matter of fact, I remember in a science class of mine in school when THE WHOLE CLASS was cheating. The teacher walked out the room and all kinds of books and notes were being opened and slid out. Then someone would look out the door and the teacher would walk back in and everyone would slide stuff back and hide it from view. Now, do you REALLY think any of us went back to the teacher days later and said “Mr. Gainey I need to tell you something?” RIIIGHT! When I did try to cheat (the time I remember doing it on my own) I actually got caught. I didn’t TELL ON MYSELF. Yes, I know “it’s the right thing to do” and all that but STILL, I’m just saying. Lizzie could have just idk turned it down to have it published. They could have without her permission. Just a thought. But the lesson is just don't cheat if you know you don't have the heart for it.
Rating: 5
There weren’t even any good Roth Food Creations in this one. In this series, it’s one of the things I look forward to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2018
Procrastination leads to plagiarism for Lizzie when, in order to hand her big research paper in on time, she copies one of her older brother's papers, and is shocked when the teacher wants to publish it in the school paper.
July 6, 2013
it's neat to find books that i read when I was a kid 23 years ago.
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