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Far-Fetched
A laugh-out-loud story about anxiety, friendship, and having a very popular dog.
Lizzie has a lot to worry about.
Ever since her sister left for boarding school, Lizzie has felt overwhelmed by worries. Will she flunk out of 7th grade? Will she say something humiliating in front of her crush? Will her campaign for class secretary set a record for the lowest number of votes ever? Her friends say her fears are far-fetched, but they still make Lizzie's stomach hurt.
Then her mom thinks she has the perfect answer—Lizzie needs an emotional support dog! And Bella the adorable Australian shepherd is a lot of furry fun. The dog forces Lizzie out of her comfort zone and gives her student council campaign a big boost. Everyone loves a happy dog!
But then Mom says Bella would be even more helpful going to school with Lizzie. And suddenly, Lizzie’s far-fetched scenarios of her life spiraling out of control feel like they’re coming true. Can she teach her anxiety to sit and stay—and find a way to stand up for what she really needs?
Lizzie has a lot to worry about.
Ever since her sister left for boarding school, Lizzie has felt overwhelmed by worries. Will she flunk out of 7th grade? Will she say something humiliating in front of her crush? Will her campaign for class secretary set a record for the lowest number of votes ever? Her friends say her fears are far-fetched, but they still make Lizzie's stomach hurt.
Then her mom thinks she has the perfect answer—Lizzie needs an emotional support dog! And Bella the adorable Australian shepherd is a lot of furry fun. The dog forces Lizzie out of her comfort zone and gives her student council campaign a big boost. Everyone loves a happy dog!
But then Mom says Bella would be even more helpful going to school with Lizzie. And suddenly, Lizzie’s far-fetched scenarios of her life spiraling out of control feel like they’re coming true. Can she teach her anxiety to sit and stay—and find a way to stand up for what she really needs?
256 pages, Paperback
Published February 4, 2025
8 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Papademetriou
92 books429 followersBestselling author Lisa Papademetriou is the author of the 'Confectionately Yours' series, 'Middle School: Big, Fat Liar' and 'Homeroom Diaries' (both with James Patterson), and many other novels for middle grade and young adult readers. Her books have appeared on the Bank Street Best Books of the Year list, the NYPL Books for the Teen Age, and the Texas Lone Star Reading List, among others. A former editor, Lisa has worked for Scholastic, HarperCollins, and DisneyPress, and holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. HarperCollins will publish her next novel, 'A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic', in October 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 17, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Even though she is anxious about many things, Lizzie Morris-Artino decides that she will run for the secretary of her class for her upcoming 8th grade year so that her father doesn't feel compelled to send her to Greenwood Academy with her sister Linden. As she frets over sending the application, her friend Monique (egged on by her other friend Harry) hits submit for her! Her anxiety increases when she finds out the popular but mean April is also running. Lizzie's parents are very concerned about her, and know that her anxiety is a problem. They talk about getting her a therapist, and her mother suggests more exercise, some coping mechanisms suggested by the school psychologist Dr. Funk, and even the possibility of getting a dog. Lizzie manages to hang in there, even when her panic causes her to do poorly on a test. She has a crush on the cute Rex, but of course her mind reverts to worst case scenarios when she sees Monique talking to him. She is also enjoying hanging out with Ant, who even helps her with her new dog, Bella, when Bella runs away at a park. Her social studies teacher, Ms. Dobbler, assigns a project, and tells everyone that the grade will be averaged with the test on which Lizzie got a C+, so Lizzie wants her partners Harry and Ant to do a really good job on their project on the Epic of Gilgamesh. April is ramping up her campaign with social media posts, but Lizzie is able to hold her own thanks to a good video of Bella catching a Frisbee that he attaches to a slogan about fund raising for a class trip that is in jeopardy. When her mother surprises her with a "Emotional Support Dog" vest for Bella, and decides to go to school with Lizzie, take the dog, and not ask permission, Lizzie is rightfully mortified. Luckily, the vice principal diffuses the situation. Lizzie is conflicted. Bella is helping when she is at home, but she doesn't want the attention that having Bella at school would bring. Not only that, but her friend Harry is very allergic to dogs. April continues to snipe at her, and when Lizzie feels sick right before she and her group are supposed to present their project, Ms. Dobbler won't let her step out to the restroom. Lizzie then spectaculary vomits into the trash can and is taken to the nurse by Monique. April, of course, uses this against Lizzie on social media, and even in the campaign speech. Lizzie thinks about dropping out, but when faced with April's smug visage, instead calls April on her mean behavior during her speech and focuses on the real issues at hand. Lizzie wins, in part because Harry and Ant spin the video loop of her vomiting and make it look like she's throwing up dollar bills. While her grandmother remains judgemental and unpleasant, her mother sees the error of her ways and apologizes, and sets up therapy for Lizzie so that hopefully her eighth grade year will be less angst filled.
Strengths: I was very glad that Lizzie not only had good friends in Monique and Harry, but had romantic prospects in both Rex and Ant. Young readers really appreciate that sort of hopefulness. While I have never seen elections for middle school class officers in my 26 years of teaching, Papademetriou does portray these in a realistic way. Lizie's relationship with Linden was generally pleasant, and the two had good conversations about why Linden was sent to Greenwood and about how unpleasant their grandmother is. Bella's status as a therapy dog was pretty iffy, but the school reacted in an entirely appropriate way, and while it was super uncomfortable, I loved that Lizzie was able to stand up to her mother at the meeting with the principal about bringing Bella to school, and that the principal thought it was an important meeting to have. The glimpses of home life, with the father being kind of checked out but cuddling up with the dog as he worked from home all day, and with the mother playing soccer, going to book club, and thinking about starting law school. Middle Grade readers spend a LOT of time with their families, so seeing how families interact with fictional characters is always a nice touch.
Weaknesses: I love Papademetriou's work. I do. I even enjoyed this book. But I have had enough of using "Karen" as a perjorative, and it's used here when Lizzie says her mom could "go even more Karen-y". Substitute this with any inappropriate cultural epithet you can imagine. Is this what we want to teach young readers is okay? I think not. This is the third Scholastic title in a month that has made this choice. Where are the editors? The grandmother is portrayed as very negative as well, although Ms. Dobbler at least gets a chance at redemption when she visits Lizzie in the nurse's office and gives her a pep talk.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Papademetriou's other work or Scholastic's WISH novels, or novels that depict characters with anxiety, like Baron's The Gray, Camerons' Ripley: Fire Station Five, Crocker's Dad's Girlfriend and Other Anxieties, Dilloway's Five Things About Ava Andrews, or Greenwald's Absolutely, Positively Natty, Harrell's Popcorn, Khan's Drawing Deena, LaRocca's Mirror to Mirror, Piontek's Better with Butter, Sumner's The Summer of June, or Uhrig's Mind Over Monsters.
Even though she is anxious about many things, Lizzie Morris-Artino decides that she will run for the secretary of her class for her upcoming 8th grade year so that her father doesn't feel compelled to send her to Greenwood Academy with her sister Linden. As she frets over sending the application, her friend Monique (egged on by her other friend Harry) hits submit for her! Her anxiety increases when she finds out the popular but mean April is also running. Lizzie's parents are very concerned about her, and know that her anxiety is a problem. They talk about getting her a therapist, and her mother suggests more exercise, some coping mechanisms suggested by the school psychologist Dr. Funk, and even the possibility of getting a dog. Lizzie manages to hang in there, even when her panic causes her to do poorly on a test. She has a crush on the cute Rex, but of course her mind reverts to worst case scenarios when she sees Monique talking to him. She is also enjoying hanging out with Ant, who even helps her with her new dog, Bella, when Bella runs away at a park. Her social studies teacher, Ms. Dobbler, assigns a project, and tells everyone that the grade will be averaged with the test on which Lizzie got a C+, so Lizzie wants her partners Harry and Ant to do a really good job on their project on the Epic of Gilgamesh. April is ramping up her campaign with social media posts, but Lizzie is able to hold her own thanks to a good video of Bella catching a Frisbee that he attaches to a slogan about fund raising for a class trip that is in jeopardy. When her mother surprises her with a "Emotional Support Dog" vest for Bella, and decides to go to school with Lizzie, take the dog, and not ask permission, Lizzie is rightfully mortified. Luckily, the vice principal diffuses the situation. Lizzie is conflicted. Bella is helping when she is at home, but she doesn't want the attention that having Bella at school would bring. Not only that, but her friend Harry is very allergic to dogs. April continues to snipe at her, and when Lizzie feels sick right before she and her group are supposed to present their project, Ms. Dobbler won't let her step out to the restroom. Lizzie then spectaculary vomits into the trash can and is taken to the nurse by Monique. April, of course, uses this against Lizzie on social media, and even in the campaign speech. Lizzie thinks about dropping out, but when faced with April's smug visage, instead calls April on her mean behavior during her speech and focuses on the real issues at hand. Lizzie wins, in part because Harry and Ant spin the video loop of her vomiting and make it look like she's throwing up dollar bills. While her grandmother remains judgemental and unpleasant, her mother sees the error of her ways and apologizes, and sets up therapy for Lizzie so that hopefully her eighth grade year will be less angst filled.
Strengths: I was very glad that Lizzie not only had good friends in Monique and Harry, but had romantic prospects in both Rex and Ant. Young readers really appreciate that sort of hopefulness. While I have never seen elections for middle school class officers in my 26 years of teaching, Papademetriou does portray these in a realistic way. Lizie's relationship with Linden was generally pleasant, and the two had good conversations about why Linden was sent to Greenwood and about how unpleasant their grandmother is. Bella's status as a therapy dog was pretty iffy, but the school reacted in an entirely appropriate way, and while it was super uncomfortable, I loved that Lizzie was able to stand up to her mother at the meeting with the principal about bringing Bella to school, and that the principal thought it was an important meeting to have. The glimpses of home life, with the father being kind of checked out but cuddling up with the dog as he worked from home all day, and with the mother playing soccer, going to book club, and thinking about starting law school. Middle Grade readers spend a LOT of time with their families, so seeing how families interact with fictional characters is always a nice touch.
Weaknesses: I love Papademetriou's work. I do. I even enjoyed this book. But I have had enough of using "Karen" as a perjorative, and it's used here when Lizzie says her mom could "go even more Karen-y". Substitute this with any inappropriate cultural epithet you can imagine. Is this what we want to teach young readers is okay? I think not. This is the third Scholastic title in a month that has made this choice. Where are the editors? The grandmother is portrayed as very negative as well, although Ms. Dobbler at least gets a chance at redemption when she visits Lizzie in the nurse's office and gives her a pep talk.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Papademetriou's other work or Scholastic's WISH novels, or novels that depict characters with anxiety, like Baron's The Gray, Camerons' Ripley: Fire Station Five, Crocker's Dad's Girlfriend and Other Anxieties, Dilloway's Five Things About Ava Andrews, or Greenwald's Absolutely, Positively Natty, Harrell's Popcorn, Khan's Drawing Deena, LaRocca's Mirror to Mirror, Piontek's Better with Butter, Sumner's The Summer of June, or Uhrig's Mind Over Monsters.
March 3, 2025
4 stars
Seventh grader Lizzie has a lot pf anxiety and her mind spins these far-fetched worst case scenarios. When she decides to run for class secretary, she is unprepared for her reaction to the pressure of the campaign. Lizzie is also unprepared for her mother's decision to et her an emotional support animal. Bella the dog, who starts to take over the campaign. Realistic anxiety of tween agers.
Seventh grader Lizzie has a lot pf anxiety and her mind spins these far-fetched worst case scenarios. When she decides to run for class secretary, she is unprepared for her reaction to the pressure of the campaign. Lizzie is also unprepared for her mother's decision to et her an emotional support animal. Bella the dog, who starts to take over the campaign. Realistic anxiety of tween agers.
September 12, 2025
Cara (10) likes that the main character had anxiety but still had a lot of friends. Cara also thinks that it’s inspiring she pushes through even with the bad feelings that come up. Oh and she loves dogs.
July 3, 2025
The cover is cute and students with anxiety will be able to relate.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews