In Liar & Spy, Newbery Winner Rebecca Stead has crafted another near perfect representation of a child’s struggle with the changes that come with growing up. Like she did in When You Reach Me, Stead has created a lyrical, poignant, and deeply human story that resonates on multiple levels. Liar & Spy is full to the brim with realistic emotions, beautifully drawn characters, and a story with which any kid, boy or girl, can connect.
Seventh grader Georges doesn’t really have any friends at school, so when he moves into an apartment in Brooklyn and meets 12 year old coffee drinking, self appointed loner and spy, Safer, Georges figures it can’t hurt to hang out with Safer and his eccentric family. Life really isn’t that great for Georges right now, anyway; since his dad lost his job they’ve had to sell their house and his mom is working double shifts at the hospital to make ends meet. Georges is also the new target of the school bully, so having someone to spend time with after school and on weekends is better than nothing. Georges becomes Safer’s first recruit into the Spy Club (aside from Safer’s 9 year old sister, Candy) and his assignment is to keep track of the mysterious Mr. X. As time goes on, though, Safer gets more demanding, expecting Georges to cross some lines he isn’t really comfortable crossing, and that leaves Georges to wonder, how far do you go for a friend?
Readers, along with Georges, ask, who is the liar? Perhaps, in our own ways, isn’t everyone keeping some kind of secret? Could we all have lied at one time or another, either to others or to ourselves, to protect a secret and keep unpleasant emotions and realities at arm’s length? Eventually Georges realizes that pretending only keeps your emotions at bay for so long; eventually feelings will come to the surface and you will have to find a way to deal with them. In Liar & Spy, Stead combines a keen observation of place, a deceptively simple yet complex way of interweaving many plot elements, surprises and clues, with a skill at character development that is almost unparalleled among middle grade fiction writers. I wouldn’t be surprised if Stead gets another call from the Newbery committee later this year.
- Posted by Cori
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