From the Publisher
Booklist, June 1, 2011:
"If the unnamed narrator of Paulsen’s Lawn Boy (2007) is the plucky entrepreneur who skyrockets to riches, Kevin is the wannabe mogul who sees an angle a mile away but trips over his own sky’s-the-limit aspirations. A glib, quick read to launch a thousand MBAs."
School Library Journal - Audio
Gr 5–9—Wildly confident, Kevin is back in Gary Paulsen's humorous follow-up (2011) to Liar, Liar (2011, both Wendy Lamb Books). This time, Kevin has lost his allowance (for all the lies in the first episode) and needs to find a way to raise some funds so he can impress Tina Zabinski, the girl of his dreams. He determines he should become "filthy rich" at the age of 14. However, when his big plans hit even bigger walls, he once again finds himself looking for a way to avoid disaster. Joshua Swanson, who also read the first title, provides another solid performance, pulling readers in with his convincing portrayal of Kevin and his excellent comedic pacing. Those familiar with the first title will applaud this sequel, while those new to the series will want to go back and find out how Kevin got into all of this trouble in the first place.—Deanna Romriell, Salt Lake City Public Library, UT
OCTOBER 2011 - AudioFile
As a result of Kevin’s creative manipulation of the facts in LIAR, LIAR, his parents have suspended his allowance. Not one to be stopped by minor roadblocks, and in need of a way to improve his financial situation so he can impress the girl of his dreams, he checks some business books out of the library and sets out to become the world’s youngest millionaire. Joshua Swanson gives voice to Kevin, projecting all the swagger and bravado the 14-year-old can muster. Swanson’s portrayal of this likable, optimistic teen with a big talent for scheming and plotting will have listeners rooting for his success in spite of the hilarious complications he encounters. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
A 14-year-old greedily launches himself headlong into the entrepreneurial world, with amusing consequences.
In the sequel to Liar, Liar (2011), Kevin's parents have taken away his allowance to punish him for his creative lying. Never impeded by misfortune (or a guilty conscience or the advice of everyone wiser than he), he decides it's a great time to make money. First he provides the perfect venue for poker games, even though some of his hapless player-victims begin to lose more money than they have. With the gambling business running admirably, he starts cleaning neighbors' garages, not worrying that depositing the trash in store Dumpsters is illegal. Then he begins "borrowing" a golf cart to sell cookies and coffee to college students. But he steps on too many people on the way up, inevitably leading to his downfall. Kevin's good-natured—if oversimplified—view of the world is pretty funny, and while readers will anticipate problems long before he does, it just adds to the fun. Chapter titles taken from a fictitious book on making money—"The Successful Person Has Vision That Others Lack," for example—contrast nicely with the disastrous outcome of Kevin's grandiose plans. That his droll first-person account only lightly sketches other characters hardly matters.
A jocular, fast-paced voyage into the sometimes simple but never quiet mind of an ambitious eighth grader. (Fiction. 9-12)
