[217mom Posts: 1,153 Status: Offline "Keep the child in view"- Charles Dickens]

You know this very special narration is hard to pull off, but when done well it is mind blowing. I know novels for adults (Atonement, Gone Girl, and more) that use it. I'm looking for examples in kid-lit. Yes, there are YA novels using it (The Thief, Speak, and more) but to my sensibilities YA is not kid-lit.

Any titles you can think of will be appreciated. 

[andracill Posts: 5,724 Status: Offline Worlds within...screaming to get out!]

Well, it's not as clear-cut as YA books (or adult books), but I'd say these have hints of it:

 The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett (one of my favorites, though perhaps not a deliberate deception),
 The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (probably borderline YA, though),
perhaps The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen (though it's not a deliberate deception there)

I suspect it's harder in middle grade because it's harder to 'lose' the trust of the reader without undermining the whole purpose of the middle grade novel?

[JodyJS Posts: 1,319 Status: Offline Available for preorder! Out 12/12/23]

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen borders on what you're looking for.

[217mom Posts: 1,153 Status: Offline "Keep the child in view"- Charles Dickens]

I will check all these out. I'm excited already! 

[Vijaya Posts: 7,104 Status: Offline Encourage]

I really enjoy stories with unreliable narrators...there's just a different vibe. But you're right, I don't see it much in PBs. Is it because children are inherently honest? I remember my very first lie at age 5--I'd made paper airplanes and boats out of my dad's thesis and when he came home he was livid so I said my brother and sister did it and they got a spanking. I got it from them later. This lie wasn't revealed until we were all adults. I couldn't think of any PBs not mentioned, but look what I found: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2013/04/26/the-unreliable-narrator-in-the-picture-book-format/   Other suggestions in the links. And I adore Dear Mrs. LaRue!!! The author has some tips for writing such books. Happy reading and writing!

[217mom Posts: 1,153 Status: Offline "Keep the child in view"- Charles Dickens]

What an amazing resource this link is, Vijaya! {That makes *you* an amazing resource for posting it.}

Of course, in books/movies for older readers, the "unreliability" of the narration/narrator is often because of mental illness. I can see this cannot be used in books for younger readers. So these examples are brilliant.

Vijaya-- blaming your siblings was handy, because you had them. I didn't have any, so I blamed the imaginary Micky Mouse I claimed lived under my bed. I was an unreliable narrator, all right. 

[annemleone Posts: 243 Status: Offline]

I'm thinking older picture books, but The Monster At The End of This Book (starring Grover) and Miss Nelson Is Missing both have unreliable narrators.

[217mom Posts: 1,153 Status: Offline "Keep the child in view"- Charles Dickens]

Indeed. The only one i could think of was Miss Nelson is Missing.  Now I have more to look at. 

[william-mockry Posts: 2 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

The "Clementine" series by Sara Pennypacker has an unreliable narrator who gives her version of events and it's up to the reader to read between the lines to understand what actually happened. Junie B. Jones does that as well.

[sarah-evans2 Posts: 1 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

I adore unreliable narrator in MG! But it is few and far between, for sure, so this list is a fantastic resource.

Two of my favorites that come to mind:
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - shifting faulty narrative view-points that create faulty narrative situations range between simply punny to obfuscating the solution. While I adore the book, I remember the faulty narrative left me confused about the outcome as a kid.
The Magic Thief series by Sarah Prineas - the entire main book is from a first person perspective with faulty narrative due to personal blind spots. She makes it work beautifully by counter-pointing with journal entries or letters by other characters that set the reader right on certain key things.