Liar & Spy (edició 2012)

A very enjoyable read; the plot twists were so unexpected. ( )

"When Georges moves into a new apartment block he meets Safer, a twelve-year-old self-appointed spy. Soon Georges has become his spy recruit. His first assignment? To track the mysterious Mr X, who lives in the flat upstairs.
But as Safer becomes more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: what is a game and what is a lie? How far is too far to go for your only friend?"

Good middle school drama with bullying aspect, but likeable hero who overcomes his nerd reputation and also deals with some family changes and challenges. Georges (named for the painter Seurat)is the target of immature bullies in his 7th grade class. His family has also downsized to a new apartment and he has drifted away from his former best friend who now hangs with the "cool kids". Georges' mom always reminds him to "see the big picture" -- instead of the dots like the pointillist painter he is named for. Clever details like this make the book endearing. Georges makes friends with a kid in his new building who recruits him to spy on another adult resident. However the game goes a little too far and tests the limits of this new friendship as well as Georges' values and courage. Kids liked it a lot. ( )

Georges is named after a famous artist, but he thinks his parents could have made his life a whole lot easier by just naming him George. Then maybe kids at school wouldn’t pick on him and call him Gorgeous. But when his family moves into an apartment building, Georges finds a friend in one of his neighbors, a boy his age named Safer. They embark on a spy mission to investigate an upstairs neighbor whom Safer calls Mr. X. As Georges continues to try to survive school and his mom’s long hours at the hospital (she’s a nurse), things with Safer turn mysterious. Can Georges trust his new friend, or is Safer lying to him? Can he trust his old friends? Can he even trust himself?

I finished this short chapter book in one evening – I couldn’t put it down! Just like she did in her Newbery winner When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead keeps the reader guessing at every turn and pulls out a completely unpredictable ending. I loved Safer’s quirky family and Georges’ sweet parents. I also appreciated the way the characters’ names were an important part of the story. If you liked When You Reach Me, you absolutely must not miss Liar & Spy. ( )

Georges is in seventh grade and doesn't have many friends. He tries not to call attention to himself, but unfortunately the class bullies still spot Georges and make fun of him because of his name: George with an s. His dad lost his job in the past year, so the family had to downsize and moved into a new apartment building, or rather an old apartment building, with lots of unique features. It’s up to Georges and his dad to unpack and setup the apartment, because his mom is so busy at the hospital. When Georges sees a sign in the basement that says Spy Club Meeting Today he ends up getting to know Candy, Safer and later, their Bohemian family. Safer teaches Georges how to be more observant by watching the residents of the apartment building on the lobby camera. Later he wants Georges to help him solve the crime of Mr. X. Unfortunately, Safer is pushing the limits and wants Georges to do things he doesn’t feel comfortable doing. Will Georges help solve the case? Is Safer someone who should be trusted? Will Georges ever be able to change the way things are for him at school? What else is really going on in Georges’s life? Read this mysterious book to find out!

Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead is a book I found easy to relate to for a few reasons. Even though I'm not really like Georges, we have parts of our personalities that are similar. We both like funny things, and we get bored doing stuff we don’t really want to do. I loved Safer’s family and found them very entertaining. I also really liked the character of Bob English, a kid in Georges’s science class who likes to draw. The story had some surprises up its sleeve, and I liked trying to solve the case of Mr. X. I think this book would be appropriate for kids in fifth grade and up. It will appeal to kids who like a mystery, because they will enjoy trying to figure out what's really happening with Mr. X and what's going on with Georges. I know I liked it, and I think others will too. I look forward to reading more books by this author. ( )