A blog for young readers (and YA lovers) from the Providence Athenaeum.
The Providence Athenaeum is a unique library and cultural center in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island. Growing out of the Providence Library Company (fourth library in the United States), the Athenaeum as we know it was formed in 1836. Our handsome building on the corner of Benefit and College was completed in 1838.
We are one of the few surviving membership libraries in the nation. Student memberships are available - visit or call for more information.
This blog is updated by one of our circulation assistants (and YA enthusiast), RJ. Follow us to find out what's new in our Young Adult corner, or just for a daily dose of literary shenanigans.
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Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
What’s New: Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
New to the Athenaeum’s YA corner is the latest from Newbery Medal-winning author Rebecca Stead, Liar and Spy. From the New York Times:
Part coming-of-age tale, part mystery, “Liar & Spy” takes place in contemporary Brooklyn and revolves around a seventh-grade loner and misfit named Georges. Cast out of his own home after his father loses his job and the family sells their house to make ends meet — and cast off by his best friend in favor of the popular clique — Georges finds himself living in a new apartment building with a cast of eccentric neighbors. These include the similarly aged and oddly named Safer, the building’s resident dog walker as well as a budding spy…
Within days of moving in, Georges becomes the sole other member of Safer’s top-secret Spy Club, as well as his new friend’s unwitting protégé in all matters espionage. Safer is fixated on the mysterious comings and goings of a man on the fourth floor (always seen exiting the building with large suitcases), whom he calls Mr. X. Is the guy a businessman or an ax murderer carting off body parts? Safer enlists a reluctant Georges to help break into Mr. X’s apartment to find out… Stead handily succeeds in keeping all the mysteries going to the bitter end. And in each case, this non-young adult was genuinely surprised by the outcomes.
