LIAR AND SPY

Book: Liar and Spy

Author: Rebecca Stead

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books

Pages: 192

Grade Level: 5^th Grade and up

Rating: 5 Stars

Life isn’t easy for Georges. His name lends itself to unpleasant nicknames (like “Gorgeous”) , his father just lost his job so his mother is forced to work extra shifts as a nurse and he must move from his home to a smaller apartment in Brooklyn. While making friends was never easy for Georges, he befriends a boy in his new building, Safer, who is an excellent spy and has a “mission” to find out what another neighbor, Mr. X, is mysteriously up to. He recruits Georges as an assistant, and Georges begins a wild ride of deceit, secrets and truths that may ruin their new found friendship forever.

This book is written so well that you become so engrossed in the mystery that you can’t put it down until you are finished. Stead is the master of quirky writing, and even though you are never sure what will happen next, everything comes together perfectly in the end, with a twist I am sure you didn’t see coming! It is an excellent book choice for reluctant readers and definitely a “boy book”, though I am sure many girls will enjoy it as well!

BOMB: THE RACE TO BUILD - AND STEAL - THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON

Book: BOMB: The Race to Build – And Steal – The World’s Most Dangerous Weapon

Author: Steve Sheinkin

Publisher: Flash Point

Pages: 272

Grade Level: 6^th Grade and up

Rating: 5 Stars

It is December of 1938, and the major discovery, that when a Uranium atom is placed next to radioactive material, the atom will split in two. Because of this, spies are flying all over three continents to be the first to obtain an atomic bomb. This book reads more like a novel than a history textbook, and it is an in depth story of what really went on behind the scenes during World War II and this fascinating discovery.

I am not usually a fan of non-fiction, but this book truly blew me out of the water. I loved everything about it – from the design: the sideways titles, the cool photos that are not distracting, the primary sources that are listed in the back coherently along with the documentations, to the fact that scientific concepts were clearly defined. Who knew there was so much espionage going on during the War? It is written extremely coherently and sixth graders and up can easily understand what is going on at all times. Every spy element is fantastic and every person who reads it will really be surprised at how much they enjoy and learn from it. 

THE FALSE PRINCE

Book: The False Prince

Author: Jennifer Nielsen

Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 352

Grade Level: 5^th Grade and up

Rating: 5 Stars

Sage is an orphan who is bought by a nobleman of the court, Connor. While Sage is originally unsure of what lies ahead of him, he soon learns that a civil war is brewing in the kingdom, and Connor wants to avoid it by impersonating the King’s long lost son. However, Connor cannot do this alone, and needs a young boy to play the prince. Sage is now in for the competition of his life, as he must decide if he wants to play a prince or lose his life. This book is full of twists, turns, deceit and adventure that you won’t want to miss!

The False Prince is the first book in The Ascendance Trilogy and when you finish the first you will NEED to find out what happens in the second. The book has a historical fiction feel to it even though the kingdom and everything about this book is made up, and it plays on the fantasy genre though it is not at all a fantasy. It is an epic quest for Sage, and reading about his trials and triumphs make you really love him as a character. Older readers will appreciate his transformation into young adulthood and readers of all ages are going to be unable to put the book down and need to know what happens next!