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Zack Files #28
Tell a Lie and Your Butt Will Grow
Zack's classmate Andrew Clancy is always bragging. Everyone knows he's a big liar. But suddenly, Andrew is having trouble hiding the fact that he isn't telling the truth, and every time he tells another whopper, his butt grows bigger-will it ever stop?
64 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2002
About the author
Dan Greenburg
163 books75 followersDAN GREENBURG BIO
BOOKS:
Dan's 73 books have been published in 24 countries.
His adult best-sellers include EXES, LOVE KILLS, HOW TO BE A JEWISH MOTHER, HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF MISERABLE, and HOW TO AVOID LOVE AND MARRIAGE. How to be a Jewish Mother sold several million copies. It and How to Make Yourself Miserable were in print for 30 years and were on Publishers Weekly’s list of all-time bestsellers.
Amazon will publish Dan’s third psychological thriller, FEAR ITSELF, in January 2014. They’ll also republish his first two thrillers, EXES and LOVE KILLS.
He’s written four series of children's books: THE ZACK FILES, SECRETS OF DRIPPING FANG, WEIRD PLANET, and MAXIMUM BOY. The Zack Files sold more than 2 million copies, was translated into 20 languages, and generated an Emmy-winning 52-episode TV series that ran on Showtime and Fox Family.
ADVENTURES:
Dan has written extensively about his adventures:
Riding with NYPD homicide detectives for two years to research thrillers FEAR ITSELF, EXES, and LOVE KILLS.
Interviewing murderers alone in their maximum security prison cells for FEAR ITSELF.
Attending autopsies in the NYC morgue for EXES.
Learning how to discipline tigers and lions on a Texas tiger ranch.
Swimming with 80,000 lb. humpback whales in the deep ocean.
Flying upside down with a stunt pilot in an open-cockpit biplane.
Participating in dangerous voodoo rites in Haiti.
Riding with NYC firemen for four months and following them into burning buildings.
Searching for the Loch Ness Monster.
Assisting exorcists in a Connecticut house attacked by poltergeists.
Acting a major character role in a Western movie filmed in Spain.
Doing stand-up comedy at the New York Improv, and on TV talk shows.
Getting screamed at by Orson Welles on the set of Catch-22 in Mexico.
MAGAZINES:
Dan’s articles have appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, New York Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, The Huffington Post, Time, Life, Newsweek, Ms., Playboy, and have been reprinted in 44 humor anthologies in the U.S. and England.
MOVIES AND TV:
Dan has had six of his feature films produced, two of which are on Variety’s list of top grossing films.
THEATER:
Along with Jules Feiffer, John Lennon and Samuel Beckett, Dan was a contributor to Oh! Calcutta!, which ran on Broadway for 21 years. He was also a contributor to Free to be You and Me, which ran off and on Broadway for years.
MISC.:
Dan has appeared on The Today Show, The Tonight Show, Larry King Live, and Late Night with David Letterman. He grew up in Chicago, got his BFA from the University of Illinois, and his MFA from UCLA. He lives in Westchester, NY and British Columbia with his author wife Judith Greenburg and many cats.
dan@dangreenburg.com
BOOKS:
Dan's 73 books have been published in 24 countries.
His adult best-sellers include EXES, LOVE KILLS, HOW TO BE A JEWISH MOTHER, HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF MISERABLE, and HOW TO AVOID LOVE AND MARRIAGE. How to be a Jewish Mother sold several million copies. It and How to Make Yourself Miserable were in print for 30 years and were on Publishers Weekly’s list of all-time bestsellers.
Amazon will publish Dan’s third psychological thriller, FEAR ITSELF, in January 2014. They’ll also republish his first two thrillers, EXES and LOVE KILLS.
He’s written four series of children's books: THE ZACK FILES, SECRETS OF DRIPPING FANG, WEIRD PLANET, and MAXIMUM BOY. The Zack Files sold more than 2 million copies, was translated into 20 languages, and generated an Emmy-winning 52-episode TV series that ran on Showtime and Fox Family.
ADVENTURES:
Dan has written extensively about his adventures:
Riding with NYPD homicide detectives for two years to research thrillers FEAR ITSELF, EXES, and LOVE KILLS.
Interviewing murderers alone in their maximum security prison cells for FEAR ITSELF.
Attending autopsies in the NYC morgue for EXES.
Learning how to discipline tigers and lions on a Texas tiger ranch.
Swimming with 80,000 lb. humpback whales in the deep ocean.
Flying upside down with a stunt pilot in an open-cockpit biplane.
Participating in dangerous voodoo rites in Haiti.
Riding with NYC firemen for four months and following them into burning buildings.
Searching for the Loch Ness Monster.
Assisting exorcists in a Connecticut house attacked by poltergeists.
Acting a major character role in a Western movie filmed in Spain.
Doing stand-up comedy at the New York Improv, and on TV talk shows.
Getting screamed at by Orson Welles on the set of Catch-22 in Mexico.
MAGAZINES:
Dan’s articles have appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, New York Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, The Huffington Post, Time, Life, Newsweek, Ms., Playboy, and have been reprinted in 44 humor anthologies in the U.S. and England.
MOVIES AND TV:
Dan has had six of his feature films produced, two of which are on Variety’s list of top grossing films.
THEATER:
Along with Jules Feiffer, John Lennon and Samuel Beckett, Dan was a contributor to Oh! Calcutta!, which ran on Broadway for 21 years. He was also a contributor to Free to be You and Me, which ran off and on Broadway for years.
MISC.:
Dan has appeared on The Today Show, The Tonight Show, Larry King Live, and Late Night with David Letterman. He grew up in Chicago, got his BFA from the University of Illinois, and his MFA from UCLA. He lives in Westchester, NY and British Columbia with his author wife Judith Greenburg and many cats.
dan@dangreenburg.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 26, 2018
I love the Zack Files series and this was another great week in Zack's life. When Zack and Andrew end up partners for the science fair, Andrew learns that telling lies can have very unexpected results.
This is a great take on Pinocchio, except for every time Andrew lied, his butt grew. Eventually, with no way out of the bathroom, Andrew had to decide if lying was worth it. With a little help from Detective Stufflebean, Andrew finally learned how to tell the truth.
This is a great take on Pinocchio, except for every time Andrew lied, his butt grew. Eventually, with no way out of the bathroom, Andrew had to decide if lying was worth it. With a little help from Detective Stufflebean, Andrew finally learned how to tell the truth.
December 28, 2022
Loved these books as a kid. They’re not deep, but they do make kids want to read til the end.
January 27, 2012
Nanette's book review
When You Tell a Lie Your Butt will Grow
Jan.26.12
The main character in my book is Zack. Zacks mom and dad are devorced and everytime he goes with his dad something wierd always happends. But this time it has something to do with lying and butts growing. Andrew is in zacks school and loves to tell lies. One day zack told him to come with him and his dad to take a lie detector test. So the andrew told the detective that his brother is a detective and that he helped him solve cases when he was tested on his lying his pants wriped and his butt got bigger.
On the way to school his butt could not stop growning .He just kept lying and lying. Then in school they have announced that they had a compation. They had to pick there own group . Now that was really hard cause andrew's butt can not stop growing. From the minute zack had to work with andrew.
It was really hard to work with someone that just lied by saying one word. I think he just wanted to be cool and popular. At the time of the compotion andrews butt gets bigger and non stop. Zack had to call the detective and ask him what does he need to do in order for him to have his normal butt. Detective says that he has to tell the truth that is the only way. If he didn't tell the truth he would be stuck in a toilet for the rest of his life and that is like really not good.
Every person andrew talks to his butt gets bigger and when he went to use the bath room he got stuck on the toilet seat. The compotion did not even start because of andrew and zack the judges have been waiting half an hour and just want to leave. But zack did not even go to check on andrew. After the teacher told him about the judges he went and asked the bad guys to leave. He told andrew i'm sorry and that is when andrew stared to tell the truth luckly his butt didn't get any bigger cause if it did he could not fit on the science project they where suppose to do. When they went on the bike the sign did not light up they did not in but not even the bad guys luckly everything got back to normal and andrew did not tell lies and least for now.
When You Tell a Lie Your Butt will Grow
Jan.26.12
The main character in my book is Zack. Zacks mom and dad are devorced and everytime he goes with his dad something wierd always happends. But this time it has something to do with lying and butts growing. Andrew is in zacks school and loves to tell lies. One day zack told him to come with him and his dad to take a lie detector test. So the andrew told the detective that his brother is a detective and that he helped him solve cases when he was tested on his lying his pants wriped and his butt got bigger.
On the way to school his butt could not stop growning .He just kept lying and lying. Then in school they have announced that they had a compation. They had to pick there own group . Now that was really hard cause andrew's butt can not stop growing. From the minute zack had to work with andrew.
It was really hard to work with someone that just lied by saying one word. I think he just wanted to be cool and popular. At the time of the compotion andrews butt gets bigger and non stop. Zack had to call the detective and ask him what does he need to do in order for him to have his normal butt. Detective says that he has to tell the truth that is the only way. If he didn't tell the truth he would be stuck in a toilet for the rest of his life and that is like really not good.
Every person andrew talks to his butt gets bigger and when he went to use the bath room he got stuck on the toilet seat. The compotion did not even start because of andrew and zack the judges have been waiting half an hour and just want to leave. But zack did not even go to check on andrew. After the teacher told him about the judges he went and asked the bad guys to leave. He told andrew i'm sorry and that is when andrew stared to tell the truth luckly his butt didn't get any bigger cause if it did he could not fit on the science project they where suppose to do. When they went on the bike the sign did not light up they did not in but not even the bad guys luckly everything got back to normal and andrew did not tell lies and least for now.
April 22, 2013
THE ZACK FILES/Tell a Lie Your Butt will grow
4/20=40minutes 4/21=30minutes
fight-friend-lie?-pair-cooperate-good-understand
Have you ever fighted with your friends? How do you make good relationship with your friends after fighting?
Yes, of course! However, after fighting, we talk a lot about each other and understand.
This story is really fun! In this book, there were many difficult vocaburalies, so i could not understand well, but I enjoyed reading it! I reminded my elementary school memories.
4/20=40minutes 4/21=30minutes
fight-friend-lie?-pair-cooperate-good-understand
Have you ever fighted with your friends? How do you make good relationship with your friends after fighting?
Yes, of course! However, after fighting, we talk a lot about each other and understand.
This story is really fun! In this book, there were many difficult vocaburalies, so i could not understand well, but I enjoyed reading it! I reminded my elementary school memories.
May 6, 2013
Grosset&Dunlap The ZACK files
04/30=15min 05/06=50min
boy,friend,lie,weekend,truble,hurry,realize
1)What do you think about telling a lie?
I think it is not always bad. For example, doctors have to tell a lie to their patients because of the heavy illness. However, we shouldn't tell a lie to our friends, relatives and so on.
2)Can you allow someone to smoke around you?
No,I can't. However I can say nothing to them. I don't smoke and I don't like smoking, but they like smoking. Therefore, I can say nothing to them.
I like ZACK file! It is a lot of fun and easy to read.
04/30=15min 05/06=50min
boy,friend,lie,weekend,truble,hurry,realize
1)What do you think about telling a lie?
I think it is not always bad. For example, doctors have to tell a lie to their patients because of the heavy illness. However, we shouldn't tell a lie to our friends, relatives and so on.
2)Can you allow someone to smoke around you?
No,I can't. However I can say nothing to them. I don't smoke and I don't like smoking, but they like smoking. Therefore, I can say nothing to them.
I like ZACK file! It is a lot of fun and easy to read.
May 14, 2012
I love The Zack Files, and my students do, too. These are great quick reads for boys and girls who need high-interest material that's more accessible for struggling readers. I'm reading these with 3rd and 4th graders that are reading .5-2 levels below grade level, and my husband read them with a 3rd grade boy several years ago, and all the kids were completely psyched every time they get a new volume. Highly recommend them.
Read
June 10, 2013Dan Greenburg Tell a Lie and Your Butt Will Grow level 3.3
06/08 = 60 minutes
hate-work-a week- judge-lie-mad
Do you have hate things?
Yes,I don't like running long time.
I like the Zack Files series.
It was interesting,too.
I would like to read anoter story.
06/08 = 60 minutes
hate-work-a week- judge-lie-mad
Do you have hate things?
Yes,I don't like running long time.
I like the Zack Files series.
It was interesting,too.
I would like to read anoter story.
December 28, 2007
I read it because I'm a loyal reader of Dan Greenburg.
Quite an intersting read. A lesson to be learned at the end of the story.
Quite an intersting read. A lesson to be learned at the end of the story.
August 18, 2008
this was a very weird book that kept me reading though i do think it is a younger kids book.
Read
October 15, 2009I THINK I READ THIS
April 10, 2010
My 7 yo loved this but I didn't like the dialogue, even if that's how kids really talk at school. This is the only Zack files book we've read but it definitely pandered to children.
August 5, 2011
It was funny
July 31, 2012
Read it with my students this past year. They really enjoyed it!
November 21, 2014
My students thought it was HILARIOUS! Perfect for 1-2 graders.
Read
February 23, 2015this book is awesome
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews