Rebecca Stead: Liar and Spy

 Stead, R. (2012). Liar & spy. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

A seventh grader named Georges is forced to leave his house and live in an apartment in Brooklyn when his father loses his job.  There, he meets a new friend named Safer, nicknamed by his parents because he never felt safe..  Safer convinces Georges that his neighbor downstairs in sneaking in dead bodies.  Georges is intrigued by this and agrees to help Safer set up surveillance on "Mr. X."  When at school, Georges is constantly bullied by Dallas, but he doesn't let that bother him.  When Georges finds out that Safer was lying to him all along, he gets angry and refuses to speak to him.  As he comes to truth about his mother's illness, he also comes up with an idea about how to get Dallas to stop bullying everyone at school.  Georges begins talking to Safer again and understands why he chose to make up a lie to George:  he is scared to leave the apartment complex.  By the end, Georges faces his own truths and is then able to help others face their own too, including Safer and kids at school.  George realizes that every experience, good or bad, is part of something much bigger, just as his parents had taught him.

This is a heart-warming story of a good family and how they coped with changes.  
A story built upon lies, it teaches us why and how they came about.  Middle school years are significant years and children can ultimately relate to the lying and figuring out truths.  Recommended for older elementary students to high school.  It starts slow, building to the suspense in the end.

Check out this book trailer.