Liar & Spy
by Rebecca Stead
Summary: Sometimes changes can be hard and Georges has to deal with a lot of change. He has to leave his house he has lived in forever and downsize to an apartment. Not only is he moving, but his dad is out of a job, his mom is working double shifts so he never sees her, and he doesn't seem to fit in at school anymore.
After moving day, Georges dad notices a flyer for a spy club and encourages George to go to the meeting. He reluctantly goes and meets a mysterious neighbor, Safer. Safer and his siblings Candy and Pigeon are nice but seem just as strange as their names suggest. George decides to take a chance anyway and join the spy club with Safer which includes spying on people throught he lobby cam, sneaking around, and other surveillance techniques. Safer and Georges quickly start their spy career when they suspect some funny business from upstairs neighbor Mr. X. He always wears, black, never talks, and is always carrying a briefcase. Will they discover what the mysterious Mr. X is up to? Has George finally found a friend? Will this solve Georges' problems with being bullied at school? To find out, read Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead.
My Impression: This is a fun read and would be appealing to all readers, but boys will definitely connect with the two main characters since they are boys. This book may be a little slow and hard to follow at times for a reluctant readers, but avid readers will blow through it. Overall I would recommend this book!
Professional Reviews:
Horn Book starred (Spring 2013)
Brooklyn seventh-grader Georges's family has just moved, his best friend has ditched him, and he's endlessly bullied. So when his new neighbor offers to train him as a spy, Georges figures, why not? Spare and elegant prose, wry humor, deft plotting, and the presentation of complex ideas in an accessible way make this novel much more than just a mystery-with-a-twist.
"Liar & Spy." Rev. of Liar and Spy, by Rebecca Stead.
Horn Book. Spring 2013. Web.
Library Media Connection (March/April 2013)
From Newbery Medal winner Rebecca Stead come another moving story of friendship, middle school problems, and life changes. When his father loses his job, seventh-grader Georges moves with his parents from their beloved home in Brooklyn to an apartment. There he meets Safer, who makes him a partner in his spying activity on the mysterious Mr. X. As he becomes involved inthe espionage Georges also struggles with bullies at school, lost friendships, and a strange new life with his father. All of these threads neatly come together. Certain symbols and themes recur throughout the story, such as the dots painted by his namesake Seurot; some themes overlap in Georges' home, school, and social lives. Each character is well developed and memorable; their problems are not easily solved or trivialized. Ms. Stead prompts readers to think about reasons for lying, and to understand there are different kins of falsehoods. MaryAnn Karre, School Librarian, West Middle School, Binghamton, New York [Editor's Note: Available in e-book format] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Karre, MaryAnn. "Liary & Spy." Rev. of Liar & Spy, by Rebecca Stead. Library Media Connection. March/April 2013. Web.
Booklist (June 1, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 19))
Grades 5-7. Stead follows her Newbery Medal winner, When You Reach Me (2009), with another story that deals with reality and perception. Seventh-grader Georges (like Seurat) is living in a new apartment in Brooklyn since the loss of his father's job necessitated selling their house. His mother still has her job as a nurse, but now she must work double shifts. He goes to the same school, though, which is not necessarily a good thing, because he is relegated to the outsiders' table. Having a neighbor his age, the loosely homeschooled Safer, offers some new possibilites for Georges, especially since Safer considers himself a spy and is happy to lure Georges into his games. There are two mysteries here: one concerns Georges' mother and the other the truth about a shady building tenant, who Safer maintains could be a murderer. Many readers will guess at least part of the truth about the first, despite the sometimes labored effort put into concealing it. The revelation about the second will be more of a surprise and offers insight into the nature of friendship. Fresh and funny, this will speak to many children trying to find their own way. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The buzz generated by Stead's multiaward winner, When You Reach Me, ensures that this will have a built in audience, and large-scale promotional plans won't hurt either.
"Liar & Spy." Rev. of Liary and Spy, by Rebecca Stead. Booklist 1 June 2012. Web.
Mrs. Russell's next read..................Insurgent by Veronica Roth
