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Liar & Spy

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

The instant New York Times bestseller from the author of the Newbery Medal winner When You Reach Me: a story about spies, games, and friendship.
 
The first day Georges (the S is silent) moves into a new Brooklyn apartment, he sees a sign taped to a door in the basement: SPY CLUB MEETING—TODAY!
 
That’s how he meets his twelve-year-old neigh­bor Safer. He and Georges quickly become allies—and fellow spies. Their assignment? Tracking the mysterious Mr. X, who lives in the apartment upstairs. But as Safer’s requests become more and more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: how far is too far to go for your only friend?
 
“Will touch the hearts of kids and adults alike.” —NPR
 
Winner of the Guardian Prize for Children’s Fiction
Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and more!

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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Georges has lots of issues. His best friend dumped him for the ÒcoolÓ crowd, his family moved from their home to an apartment after his dad became unemployed, and he rarely sees his mother as she works extra shifts at the hospital. Now he's encountering middle school bullying, the mysterious Spy Club, and Safer, an eccentric 12-year-old home-schooled loner in need of a friend. Jesse Bernstein does a good job of voicing Georges. Other aspects of the production fall short, such as the portrayal of one character who spells his words using Ben Franklin's unconventional spelling rules, which are easier to understand with the eyes than with the ears. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from October 29, 2012
      When seventh-grader Georges and his family move into a new apartment building in Brooklyn, N.Y., he meets 12-year-old Safer, who recruits him to join her spy squad in an attempt to gather intelligence about Mr. X, a man who resides in an upstairs suite. As Georges, narrator Jesse Bernstein is youthful yet wise: a child who’s suffered more than his fair share of life. As Safer, Bernstein is darker, sounding like a troubled youth who is ready to control any situation. Of course, there’s more than meets the eye in Stead’s novel, and Bernstein’s understated performance leaves room for interpretation. Listeners will be charmed by this memorable listen and Bernstein’s rendition of two unusual and endlessly interesting characters. Ages 8–up. A Wendy Lamb hardcover.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from June 11, 2012
      Seventh grade is not going well for Georges, the only child of an out-of-work Brooklyn architect and a nurse who named him after her favorite painter, pointillist Georges Seurat. Although Georges's mother has taken on double shifts to bring in extra income, the family has had to sell their house and move into an apartment. At school, former best friend Jason, who has started dressing like the skateboarder he isn't, now stands idly by while bullies harass Georges. Newbery Medalist Stead (When You Reach Me) expertly balances â¨Georges's blue period with the introduction of the new neighbors: amateur spy Safer, and his younger sister, Candy, whose parents (in one of many hilarious details) let the kids name themselves. As homeschooled siblings, they offer refreshing perspectives on the ridiculousness of what goes on at Georges's school, including a forthcoming science unit on taste buds that the kids believe forecasts one's destiny. Safer recruits Georges to investigate and observeâusing the lobbycam to track a mysterious tenant and binoculars to monitor a nest of wild green parrotsâbut the biggest secrets are the ones these two sensitive boys have buried in their hearts. Stead has a talent for introducing curriculum-ready topics in the most accessible ways imaginable, e.g., Seurat's painting methods become a persuasive metaphor for what Georges is going through and how he can survive it. Chock-full of fascinating characters and intelligent questions, this is as close to perfect as middle-grade novels come. Ages 9â12. Agent: Faye Bender, Faye Bender Literary Agency.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:3.8
  • Lexile® Measure:670
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:3

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