Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

Part 3 of this review - a work in progress!

Well at page 127 I actually laughed out loud - something I rarely do.  This book is making me smile, smile, smile.

Georges is now good friends with Safer and his sister Candy.  Safer and Georges are working together to solve the mystery of Mr X. In the basement laundry Safer has seen a dryer filled with black clothes.  Mr X only wears black, even in May, so while Georges stands as a lookout Safer rifles through the clothes and he finds a tiny key. Safer is teaching Georges how to be a spy and especially how to hone his skills of observation.

Along side these events Georges goes to school each day where he suffers regular taunting by the school bullies and eats different lunches in the cafeteria.  In Science the class are studying the sense of taste and experimenting with the five tastes - salty, sweet, sour, bitter and Umami.

Another disparate piece of information is that Candy does not like orange - as a flavor or a food.  She has a theory about who she will marry one day  - a person who loves orange. "Mr Orange. That's who I'm going to marry. Someone who likes orange.' ... That way he and I can always share the pack.' 'Pack of what?' 'Starbursts, Lifesavers, Jolly Ranchers, Whatever."

Have you been wondering about these kid's names.  The parents of Candy, Safer and their older brother Pigeon let them choose their own names when they were about two years old.  Candy loves candy, Pigeon loves birds and since there are lots of pigeons around Brooklyn where they live he especially loves or loved pigeons but we don't yet know about Safer.

Mum is working hard night and day at the hospital and she and Georges communicate using scrabble letters. I really like this idea. Georges has made one friend at school - Bob English - who is, by coincidence or perhaps design,  interested in English and in particular in the odd way we spell words.  I think Rebecca Stead herself loves words.  What do you think of when you hear the word stool?

On with the reading!  Wait what about the part that made me laugh.  Safer decides to 'break into' Mr X's apartment.  He shows Georges an American Express card and Georges says "You're going to pay someone to open the door?"