Lizard's Tale

Local Description

Kathleen's review -  This is a historical novel with children as spies - full of adventure and a realistic general plot. It's also a good talking point for what actually did happen in real life

 

Kate's Review - This is an exciting voice on the Aotearoa literary landscape. This adventure/mystery story had me holding my breath, then dropping my jaw as I was taken around the streets of Lizard’s 1940’s Singapore. The characters are gripping & the story is thrilling.

 

Description

It's Singapore in 1940, war is just around the corner-but twelve-year-old Lizard doesn't know that. He lives in Chinatown above a tailor's shop, surviving on his wits and hustling for odd jobs. When he steals a small teak box containing a Japanese code book from a Raffles Hotel suite, he finds himself in a dangerous world of wartime espionage. Lizard doesn't know who to trust. How is the mysterious book inside the box connected to his friend Lili, a girl full of secrets and fighting skills? Can he trust her, or will she betray him in the end? Lizard's Tale is an action-packed adventure for middle-grade readers, set in a British colony in Asia as the Japanese invasion of Singapore looms.

Promotion info

A heart-racing middle-grade adventure mystery set on the streets of Singapore against the backdrop of World War II, exploring issues of belonging, race and diversity.

Awards

Winner of the 2020 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction