Freshman Lies

A parent might reach for this book when their teen is starting high school and seems overly anxious about fitting in, perhaps even bending the truth to make a good impression. "Freshman Lies" follows Cameron, a girl who reinvents herself at a new school by creating a web of lies about her family and background to join the popular crowd. The story is a classic cautionary tale that directly explores the stress of maintaining a false identity and the value of true friendship. This book from 1990 offers a straightforward look at themes of honesty, self-confidence, and peer pressure, free from the complexities of modern social media. It serves as an excellent, gentle conversation starter for teens aged 13 to 15 about the importance of being yourself and the realization that the people who matter will like you for who you are, not for who you pretend to be.