Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2014 - One of our Books of the Year 2013 & Winner of the 2013 Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize
September 2013 Book of the Month Award-winning Rebecca Steed tells a wonderfully touching story with great sensitivity within an exciting and dramatic adventure. Georges (his unusual name is part of his problem) has just moved to a new apartment block and he immediately gets caught up in a game with Safer, a boy who lives on another floor.
Safer’s spying game seems fun and his family, sister Candy and brother Pigeon provide an interesting and supportive alternative home for Georges while things in his own family are out of kilter. But then Georges begins to have his doubts… Gradually everything he has been protecting himself from spins out of control and the reader discovers the sad truth he has been hiding himself from. A very special story that is not to be missed.
The Guardian children's fiction prize was founded in 1967. It is awarded annually to fiction written for children aged eight and above, and is the only children's fiction award selected by fellow writers.
The judging panel was chaired by our very own reviewer, Julia Eccleshare, who said "Liar & Spy is an incredibly sensitive book. Its central characters are all children who have complexities in their lives which they are dealing with. It's a novel about how children have to navigate the world, and it has an open-handedness which means that readers may be surprised as to where it finishes. It's always interesting in children's fiction to see what's coming from the US, and it's appropriate that this Newbery-winning author be highly regarded in the UK too. It is a quiet book, but although the drama is finely-tuned, the overall impact is powerful, moving and surprising."
It was a long and well-argued debate on the essence of what a good children's book is. Individual judges had different views but collectively we thought this novel told the story in the most interesting and original way."
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In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for Liar and Spy a small number of teenagers were lucky enough to be invited to review this title. Here's a taster....'Emotional, funny and complex Liar and Spy is a beautiful book, perfect for all age groups'
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Georges (the s is silent) has a lot going on. He's having trouble with some boys at school, his dad lost his job and so his mum has started working all the time - and they had to sell their house and move into an apartment. But moving into the apartment block does bring one good thing - Safer, an unusual boy who lives on the top floor.
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Georges (the s is silent) has a lot going on. He's having trouble with some boys at school, his dad lost his job and so his mum has started working all the time - and they had to sell their house and move into an apartment.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Liar and Spy and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Liar and Spy features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Recommendations, Recommended Children's eBooks, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback, Ebook, Hardback. Not Available.
Liar and Spy was written by Rebecca Stead and published by Andersen Press Ltd
Liar and Spy has 184 pages
