diff --git a/lib/ams.rb b/lib/ams.rb
index 7851f0df..ef4280ca 100644
--- a/lib/ams.rb
+++ b/lib/ams.rb
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 require 'ams/version'
+require 'ams/serializer'
diff --git a/lib/ams/serializer.rb b/lib/ams/serializer.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7bb41bcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/ams/serializer.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,200 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require 'json'
+module AMS
+  # Lightweight mapping of a model to a JSON API resource object
+  # with attributes and relationships
+  #
+  # The fundamental building block of AMS is the Serializer.
+  # A Serializer is used by subclassing it, and then declaring its
+  # type, attributes, relations, and uniquely identifying field.
+  #
+  # The term 'fields' may refer to attributes of the model or the names of related
+  # models, as in {http://jsonapi.org/format/#document-resource-object-fields
+  # JSON:API resource object fields}
+  #
+  # @example:
+  #
+  #  class ApplicationSerializer < AMS::Serializer; end
+  #  class UserModelSerializer < ApplicationSerializer
+  #    type :users
+  #    id_field :id
+  #    attribute :first_name, key: 'first-name'
+  #    attribute :last_name, key: 'last-name'
+  #    attribute :email
+  #    relation :department, type: :departments, to: :one
+  #    relation :roles, type: :roles, to: :many
+  #  end
+  #
+  #  user = User.last
+  #  ums = UserModelSerializer.new(user)
+  #  ums.to_json
+  class Serializer < BasicObject
+    # delegate constant lookup to Object
+    def self.const_missing(name)
+      ::Object.const_get(name)
+    end
+
+    class << self
+      attr_accessor :_attributes, :_relations, :_id_field, :_type
+
+      def add_instance_method(body, receiver=self)
+        cl = caller_locations[0]
+        silence_warnings { receiver.module_eval body, cl.absolute_path, cl.lineno }
+      end
+
+      def add_class_method(body, receiver)
+        cl = caller_locations[0]
+        silence_warnings { receiver.class_eval body, cl.absolute_path, cl.lineno }
+      end
+
+      def silence_warnings
+        original_verbose = $VERBOSE
+        $VERBOSE = nil
+        yield
+      ensure
+        $VERBOSE = original_verbose
+      end
+
+      def inherited(base)
+        super
+        base._attributes = _attributes.dup
+        base._relations = _relations.dup
+        base._type = base.name.split('::')[-1].sub('Serializer', '').downcase
+        add_class_method "def class; #{base}; end", base
+        add_instance_method "def id; object.id; end", base
+      end
+
+      def type(type)
+        self._type = type
+      end
+
+      def id_field(id_field)
+        self._id_field = id_field
+        add_instance_method <<-METHOD
+        def id
+          object.#{id_field}
+        end
+        METHOD
+      end
+
+      def attribute(attribute_name, key: attribute_name)
+        fail 'ForbiddenKey' if attribute_name == :id
+        _attributes[attribute_name] = { key: key }
+        add_instance_method <<-METHOD
+        def #{attribute_name}
+          object.#{attribute_name}
+        end
+        METHOD
+      end
+
+      def relation(relation_name, type:, to:, key: relation_name, **options)
+        _relations[relation_name] = { key: key, type: type, to: to }
+        case to
+        when :many then _relation_to_many(relation_name, type: type, key: key, **options)
+        when :one then _relation_to_one(relation_name, type: type, key: key, **options)
+        else
+          fail ArgumentError, "UnknownRelationship to='#{to}'"
+        end
+      end
+
+      def _relation_to_many(relation_name, type:, key: relation_name, **options)
+        ids_method = options.fetch(:ids) do
+          "object.#{relation_name}.pluck(:id)"
+        end
+        add_instance_method <<-METHOD
+          def related_#{relation_name}_ids
+            #{ids_method}
+          end
+
+          def #{relation_name}
+            related_#{relation_name}_ids.map do |id|
+              relationship_object(id, "#{type}")
+            end
+          end
+        METHOD
+      end
+
+      def _relation_to_one(relation_name, type:, key: relation_name, **options)
+        id_method = options.fetch(:id) do
+          "object.#{relation_name}.id"
+        end
+        add_instance_method <<-METHOD
+          def related_#{relation_name}_id
+            #{id_method}
+          end
+
+          def #{relation_name}
+            id = related_#{relation_name}_id
+            relationship_object(id, "#{type}")
+          end
+        METHOD
+      end
+    end
+    self._attributes = {}
+    self._relations = {}
+
+    attr_reader :object
+
+    # @param model [Object] the model whose data is used in serialization
+    def initialize(object)
+      @object = object
+    end
+
+    def as_json
+      {
+        id: id,
+        type: type
+      }.merge({
+        attributes: attributes,
+        relationships: relations
+      }.reject { |_, v| v.empty? })
+    end
+
+    def to_json
+      dump(as_json)
+    end
+
+    def attributes
+      fields = {}
+      _attributes.each do |attribute_name, config|
+        fields[config[:key]] = send(attribute_name)
+      end
+      fields
+    end
+
+    def relations
+      fields = {}
+      _relations.each do |relation_name, config|
+        fields[config[:key]] = send(relation_name)
+      end
+      fields
+    end
+
+    def type
+      self.class._type
+    end
+
+    def _attributes
+      self.class._attributes
+    end
+
+    def _relations
+      self.class._relations
+    end
+
+    def relationship_object(id, type)
+      {
+        "data": { "id": id, "type": type }, # resource linkage
+      }
+    end
+
+    def dump(obj)
+      JSON.dump(obj)
+    end
+
+    def send(*args)
+      __send__(*args)
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/fixtures/poro.rb b/test/fixtures/poro.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8cbb92eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/poro.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+class PlainModel
+  class << self
+    attr_accessor :attribute_names, :association_names
+
+    def attributes(*names)
+      self.attribute_names |= names.map(&:to_sym)
+      # Silence redefinition of methods warnings
+      silence_warnings do
+        attr_accessor(*names)
+      end
+    end
+
+    def associations(*names)
+      self.association_names |= names.map(&:to_sym)
+      # Silence redefinition of methods warnings
+      silence_warnings do
+        attr_accessor(*names)
+      end
+    end
+
+    def silence_warnings
+      original_verbose = $VERBOSE
+      $VERBOSE = nil
+      yield
+    ensure
+      $VERBOSE = original_verbose
+    end
+  end
+  self.attribute_names = []
+  self.association_names = []
+
+  def initialize(fields = {})
+    fields ||= {} # protect against nil
+    fields.each do |key, value|
+      send("#{key}=", value)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def attributes
+    self.class.attribute_names.each_with_object({}) do |attribute_name, result|
+      result[attribute_name] = public_send(attribute_name).freeze
+    end.freeze
+  end
+
+  def associations
+    association_names.each_with_object({}) do |association_name, result|
+      result[association_name] = public_send(association_name).freeze
+    end.freeze
+  end
+end
+
+class ParentModel< PlainModel
+  attributes :id, :name, :description
+  associations :child_models
+end
+class ChildModel < PlainModel
+  attributes :id, :name
+end
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
index 8d85a9ef..2e0e97d7 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.rb
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ require 'bundler/setup'
 require 'simplecov'
 require 'minitest/autorun'
 require 'ams'
+require 'fixtures/poro'
 
 module AMS
   class Test < Minitest::Test
diff --git a/test/unit/serializer/as_json_test.rb b/test/unit/serializer/as_json_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..56ff10e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/serializer/as_json_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+require 'test_helper'
+
+module AMS
+  class Serializer
+    class AsJsonTest < Test
+      class ParentModelSerializer < Serializer
+        id_field :id
+        type :profiles
+        attribute :name
+        attribute :description, key: :summary
+        relation :child_models, type: :comments, to: :many, ids: 'object.child_models.map(&:id)'
+      end
+
+      def setup
+        super
+        @relation = ChildModel.new(id: 2, name: 'comment')
+        @object = ParentModel.new(
+          id: 1,
+          name: 'name',
+          description: 'description',
+          child_models: [@relation]
+        )
+        @serializer_class = ParentModelSerializer
+        @serializer_instance = @serializer_class.new(@object)
+      end
+
+      def test_model_instance_as_json
+        expected = {
+          id: 1, type: :profiles,
+          attributes: {name: "name", summary: "description"},
+          relationships:
+          {child_models: [{data: {id: 2, type: "comments"}}]}
+        }
+        assert_equal expected, @serializer_instance.as_json
+      end
+
+      def test_model_instance_to_json
+        expected = {
+          id: 1, type: :profiles,
+          attributes: {name: "name", summary: "description"},
+          relationships:
+          {child_models: [{data: {id: 2, type: "comments"}}]}
+        }.to_json
+        assert_equal expected, @serializer_instance.to_json
+      end
+
+      def test_model_instance_dump
+        expected = {
+          id: 1, type: :profiles
+        }.to_json
+        assert_equal expected, @serializer_instance.dump(id: 1, type: :profiles)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/unit/serializer/attributes_test.rb b/test/unit/serializer/attributes_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..069d7b40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/serializer/attributes_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+require 'test_helper'
+
+module AMS
+  class Serializer
+    class AttributesTest < Test
+      class ParentModelSerializer < Serializer
+        attribute :name
+        attribute :description, key: :summary
+      end
+
+      def setup
+        super
+        @object = ParentModel.new(
+          id: 1,
+          name: 'name',
+          description: 'description'
+        )
+        @serializer_class = ParentModelSerializer
+        @serializer_instance = @serializer_class.new(@object)
+      end
+
+      def test_model_instance_attributes
+        expected_attributes = {
+          name: 'name',
+          summary: 'description'
+        }
+        assert_equal expected_attributes, @serializer_instance.attributes
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/unit/serializer/identifier_test.rb b/test/unit/serializer/identifier_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a7dbde68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/serializer/identifier_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+require 'test_helper'
+
+module AMS
+  class Serializer
+    class IdentifierTest < Test
+      class ParentModelSerializer < Serializer
+        id_field :id
+      end
+
+      def setup
+        super
+        @object = ParentModel.new( id: 1,)
+        @serializer_class = ParentModelSerializer
+        @serializer_instance = @serializer_class.new(@object)
+      end
+
+      def test_model_instance_id
+        expected_id = 1
+        assert_equal expected_id, @serializer_instance.id
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/unit/serializer/relationships_test.rb b/test/unit/serializer/relationships_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..15352973
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/serializer/relationships_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+require 'test_helper'
+
+module AMS
+  class Serializer
+    class RelationshipsTest < Test
+      class ParentModelSerializer < Serializer
+        relation :child_models, type: :comments, to: :many, ids: 'object.child_models.map(&:id)'
+      end
+
+      def setup
+        super
+        @relation = ChildModel.new(id: 2, name: 'comment')
+        @object = ParentModel.new(
+          child_models: [@relation]
+        )
+        @serializer_class = ParentModelSerializer
+        @serializer_instance = @serializer_class.new(@object)
+      end
+
+      def test_model_instance_relations
+        expected_relations = {
+          child_models: [{
+            data: {type: 'comments', id: 2 }
+          }]
+        }
+        assert_equal expected_relations, @serializer_instance.relations
+      end
+
+      def test_model_instance_relationship_object
+        expected = {
+          data: {type: :bananas, id: 5 }
+        }
+        assert_equal expected, @serializer_instance.relationship_object(5, :bananas)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end