Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead - Booktalk

Booktalk Script:

 

Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

Georges, the “s” is silent, goes to the seventh grade. He goes every day even though some of the other kids make fun of his name, he is certain the “Science Unit of Destiny” won't end well for him, and his home life has been turned on end ever since his dad lost his job. Even though his mom has been pulling double shifts at the hospital and his dad has started his own consulting business they still have to sell their house and move into a nearby Brooklyn apartment.  

Safer is a spy, or at least he is an expert on being a spy. He spends his day walking the neighbors' dogs, taking careful notes on the parrots nesting at the building next door, and tracking the movements of the mysterious and menacing Mr. X. His kid sister, Candy, is his number one spy trainee, but he needs more help if he is to crack the case on Mr X.

When Georges first meets Safer at a clandestine spy meeting in the basement of his new apartment building his life takes a turn for the stranger. Time once filled with watching old episodes of American's Funniest Home Videos is now spent tracking the status of strategically placed gum wrappers and learning the fine art of surveillance using the apartment lobby camera. 

This tale of friendship, family, and standing firm in the knowledge of who you are all plays out against the backdrop of the most wild spy chase of Georges' life. Find out what happens when these two boys meet and they discover that their view of the world might not be as obvious as they once thought. Read Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead, award winning author of When You Reach Me and First Light.

YouTube Video Link: http://youtu.be/_fGaz1ufd_0

Audience: This booktalk is for middle school aged kids who come from working class and middle class backgrounds who might be able to relate to the economic troubles in Georges' life.

Book Information:

Stead, Rebecca. 2012. Liar and Spy. New York: Yearling. Print. ISBN 978-0-385-73743-2