Karen's Big Lie is the 38th book in the Baby-Sitters Little Sister series.
Back Cover Summary[]
Karen did not mean to cheat off of Ricky. But she was just not ready for Ms. Colman's surprise math quizzes. And Ricky's paper was right there.
When her teacher and her friend Hannie ask Karen if she has been cheating, she says no. A big lie! What will she do if everyone finds out the truth?
Summary[]
Karen is in huge trouble. It wasn't her fault, though. She just struggles at math. So when Ms. Colman starts having math quizzes, that deal with addition and subtraction, Karen needs complete help. So when she sees Ricky's paper, she starts to get a little twitchy. Meanwhile, Karen has to deal with David Michael. He wants to start looking like a teenager: having his hair in a buzz saw, getting a tattoo, and getting his ears pierced. When his mom and stepfather say no, he gives himself a tattoo with markers. And then Andrew and Emily Michelle! What will Karen do now?
Back at school, Karen has broken her relationship with Hannie. When she asks Karen if she copied, she says no. When Mrs. Colman asks Karen if she copied, she says no. Karen had lied. Now what is she going to do? Just make the lie bigger and bigger? No. She is going to break it to Mrs. Colman and Hannie. Karen tells the truth to Mrs. Colman and Hannie. She then ends up punished by her mom and stepfather, and by her dad and stepmother, Karen then afterward makes peace with Ricky, David Michael, and Hannie and then Karen has certainly learned her lesson.
Characters in this book[]
Karen's Family
- Karen Brewer
- Andrew Brewer
- Big House - Watson Brewer, Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, Charlie Thomas, Sam Thomas, Kristy Thomas, David Michael Thomas, Emily Michelle Brewer, Nannie
- Little House - Seth Engle, Lisa Engle
Kids
- Ms. Colman's class: Hannie Papadakis, Nancy Dawes, Ricky Torres, Natalie Springer, Pamela Harding, Bobby Gianelli, Hank Reubens, Leslie Morris
Adults
- Ms. Colman
- Mrs. Pazden - school nurse
- Mr. Berger (mentioned)
Places in this Book[]
- Stoneybrook Academy
- Big House
- Rosebud Café (mentioned)
Trivia[]
- This book is dedicated to "Godwin Agbeli and my friends in Kopeyia"
- This book was marked as book 39 while it was being written.
- Continuity: Ricky and Bobby play Kleenex tag which was first introduced in Karen's Brothers.
- Inconsistencies: In Dawn and the Impossible Three, Dawn Schafer says that Karen can add and subtract as quick as she can, but in this book Karen has difficulties with addition and subtraction.
- Pop culture and real life references: Disney World.
- On the cover Ms. Colman looks older then she's drawn in Karen's New Teacher.
- Watson and Elizabeth don't allow temporary fake tattoos.
- Hannie's best subject is math.
- Hannie knew that Karen was cheating since the third quiz.
- Elizabeth's work hosts a company picnic.
- Books mentioned include: Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
- Karen's punishment includes no TV for two weeks at the little house and no allowance at the big house for two weeks.
- Two books in the BSC series deal with cheating in math class—Claudia and the Middle School Mystery and Abby's Lucky Thirteen.
Gallery[]