Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
This is the second book I've read by the author, with the first being When You Reach Me (a homage to A Wrinkle in Time). Here we have Georges, a boy in the seventh grade, as the main character. Georges family is just moving from their house to an apartment, the result of a downturn in family finances after Georges father lost his job. The apartment is in the same neighbourhood, so Georges is able to keep going to the same school. At school he is not in the cool crowd, and doesn't really have any friends, and finds himself the target of bullies. His father worries about him and encourages him to find friends. When he does meet a boy his age in the apartment building, Georges is a little unsure of the friendship and proceeds cautiously. Safer asks Georges to do things that Georges isn't entirely comfortable doing, but he finds himself doing them anyway. But how far should he go outside his comfort zone to please his new friend? Safer is part of an interesting family and Georges enjoys his interactions with them, especially Safer's little sister Candy.
This is a book about friendship, uncertainty and belonging. Stead has a real knack for showing how we all have our own quirks and that is perfectly okay and normal.
I'm definitely going to be including this title in a Christmas gift this year.
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