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" Loved this so much I wanted to start reading it over again from the beginning as soon as I finished. "
- Molly, 2/16/2014
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" Saddled with an embarrassing name, Georges is also dealing with a new apartment and starting 7th grade. His father lost his job, so the family has downsized and his mother works double shifts at the hospital. He meets Safer and his little sister Candy, two strange yet smart kids who don't go to school, and even though Safer has some crazy ideas, Georges feels comfortable in their big, homey apartment. Bullied at school, lonely at home, Georges deals with his reality but is unable to share the truth either with Safer or with himself, until he has to face the thing he is most afraid of in the whole world. Read attentively because this book contains a big plot twist. Another genuine, entrancing tale from Stead. Fabulous. 6th grade and up. "
- Phoebe, 2/14/2014
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" Again, terrific. Stead has such a gift for creating characters and setting and then putting them into a plot that keeps you guessing. The emotional development here is truly excellent. "
- Julie, 2/4/2014
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" ALA ALSC Notable 2013 "
- stillme, 1/21/2014
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" Seventh grader Georges (silent S,pronounced George) and his family have to move, due to economic problems, from his Brooklyn home, complete with a loft for Georges which includes a fire escape, to a nearby apartment. Here Georges meets Safer, a home-schooled kid Georges' age, who wants Georges to help spy on a bonafide murderer who lives in the apartment above Georges'apartment who has to be taking out dead bodies in suitcases. Georges grows out of his silent S name into a young man with a voice when it concerns bullying and what he'll do in the name of friendship. "
- Mary, 1/13/2014
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" Seventh grader Georges is adjusting to the bullies in his class who pick on him for various reasons, including his name--he's named after artist Georges Seurat--as well as having to move from the family's house to an apartment. Plus, his mother is always absent, working extra shifts at the hospital. When he meets Safer, and eccentric young neighbor intent on spying on another neighbor, he reluctantly joins in but becomes increasingly anxious since Safer asks him to lie to his father and break into an apartment. When Georges realizes what's actually going on, he is angry but eventually realizes that lies often spring from fear and not from an intent to hurt someone. I like how the author puts as much emphasis on the challenges of Georges' situation at school as what's going on at home. When he cleverly finds a way to thwart those who are harrassing him, I wanted to cheer. While I had an idea of what was going on with his mother and with Safer early on in the book, I still enjoyed it and recommend it highly. One of the cool aspects of this one is how George left messages using Scrabble tiles for his mother, and then she left messages for him. (Well, really, his father is the one who left the messages, but still, this playing with letters and words shows how much the family enjoys wordplay.) "
- Barbara, 1/12/2014
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" My 10 year old daughter and I read this together and enjoyed Georges' approach to navigating middle school social interactions. Good story. "
- Roe, 1/7/2014
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" I wonder how the intended audience feels about this book. As an adult...or "experienced reader," rather, I enjoyed the story, the themes, the details, etc. But as a teen, I'm afraid it wouldn't be very satisfying. "
- Nicole, 1/2/2014
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" Read with the 6th graders. A difficult read aloud. "
- Shauna, 12/1/2013
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" Loved the characters. This book would be a great one to read and discuss with middle school age students. It also has a great anti bullying message. "
- Emily, 10/23/2013
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" Part mystery, part childhood survival. Forced to move to an apartment building after his father loses his job, XXX makes friends through a spy group he meets with in the basement of his apartment building. "
- Kathy, 9/29/2013
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" It was a quick, enjoyable read. Not as good as her newberry winner When You Reach Me but still good. It was similar to WYRM as she keeps you guessing about certain characters and the storyline. The writing was good and I found it refreshing just like her 1st novel. "
- Esther, 8/12/2013
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" Loved it! I think I'll read it again right away. "
- Alethea, 8/10/2013
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" I was expecting more :/ "
- Alissa, 8/10/2013
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" 2013 mock newbery "
- Margaret, 4/19/2013
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" Interesting story. Characters are well-developed. I liked the approach to dealing with bullies. The ending was very surprising-almost too abrupt. I thought I had missed a page. All in all, a good read for 9 and up. "
- Claudia, 1/3/2013
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" Quick fun read. Stead is a great storyteller and she spins a quirky funny tale where the underdogs outsmart the bullies! "
- Susan, 11/29/2012
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" Would be a good read aloud to compliment predictions and inference reading strategies, 4th grade and up. "
- Heather, 11/1/2012
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" This one never engaged me although I read it pretty quickly. I don't see a Newbery out of this one at all. "
- Jo, 8/16/2012
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" it was no 'when you reach me,' but then again, what is? besides perfection. and while not being perfect, this book was pretty darned good. "
- Laura, 7/21/2012
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