Friendship, family, business, ethics, sibling rivalry, student activism, and crime, Faker by Gordon Korman is sure to be a hit with students. This story is told from the point of view of Trey, a middle school student who assists his father in the family business--the confidence game. Centering around the next big con, Trey befriends Logan and Kaylee, which changes everything for him. This book is sure to provoke discussion about morals, ethics, and personal choices. Once again, Gordon Korman does not disappoint.

Trey know how this goes, he goes to a new school, he makes new rich friends, his dad scams them out of a lot of money, when the people find out what Treys dad is doing Trey, his dad and sister Houdini (that means they are off on a vacation to a Caribbean island or someplace with no extradition. They stay on vacation until the heat is off and Trey’s dad thinks of a new scam.
I really liked this book and if you read it you’ll find out why you will end up cheering Trey on. The characters are so real and the story line so believable you will feel as though you are there and trying to help everyone. This is a really good book for kids of ALL ages, even reluctant readers will like this book too.

In Faker, 7th grader Trey is learning that his dad isn’t everything he thought he was. He knew his dad was a con-man, but he was always under the impression that they only swindled those with extra money to give, like Robin Hood stealing from the rich to give to the poor. The family would bounce around from town to town, working their dad’s schemes, until they had all been paid and it was time to escape before getting caught. As time goes on, Trey starts getting tired of having to always start over and make new friends, only to leave them in a few short weeks or months. So in the latest escapade, Trey decides to play the game differently.
As a huge Korman fan, this title didn’t satisfy me as others have. The humor wasn’t there, parts seemed very far-fetched, and the ending was not at all realistic. However, I know that this will be a fun read for a lot of middle grade readers.

Once again, Gordon Korman writes a winner of a book applicable for all ages. FAKER was entertaining and thought-provoking, with a very unique plot and characters that grab you right from the beginning. I read it fairly quickly, mostly because I was so invested in 12 year old Trey and wanted to see what kind of an ending he would get. This is a book for parents and children to read together, one that elicits discussion about right, wrong, and the shades of gray in the middle. I loved it!

Another awesome book by Gordon Korman. "Faker" would also make a great read-aloud. I can imagine the types of discussions that would take place as the book is read at home or in school. Who is morally right? Who is darn right wrong? Is there a right or wrong answer? Read the book to find out.
A must-have to all libraries and Gordon Korman collections.

Have you ever known a secret so big that if it got out, your whole life would change? Trey has grown up holding a secret like that in, and it is really starting to weigh heavy on him. His dad is a con man, convincing the rich people in whatever city they have landed in to invest in the next big thing. Trey has believed his father when he says no one is getting hurt, but this current con isn’t like the others. He’s convinced someone is going to get hurt, and it may be him.

Another true page turner from Gordon Korman. From the beginning, I was invested in Trey’s story. How could a kid be tasked with knowing a secret about his family so big it could change their lives forever?! Everything that happened in the story was believable, and I kept waiting for the secret to be exposed. I loved the friendships Trey developed in the book and was cheering him on the whole time. A few lessons were even hidden along the way.

Trey and his family have been making a living by conning rich people out of their money for years. Trey has never had a problem with the family business, but when he begins to see through his dad's half-truths and discovers his sister's deception, he is convinced they all need to leave the family business.

Gordon Korman has a knack for writing stories that appeal to middle grades. The characters were developed and the ethics lesson was a bonus. Middle-grade readers will flock to this book.

Reading 2024
Book 61: Faker by Gordon Korman

Found this book in the Read Now section of #NetGalley. Love Gordon Korman books and they were popular in my classroom library. Had to grab this one.

Synopsis: The story of a family of liars... and the son who wants to break the family tradition.

Review: This was a middle grade version of a con story. I do love con stories when done well, and this one was done well. This was a bit of a spin as the dad was the con artist and his kids were expected to help and keep the family secret. Trey, the oldest, finds this life may not be all that great after all when they move into a community where he makes friends. Really enjoyed this one, my rating 4⭐️.

I’ve read several of Gordon Korman’s books with my youngest kiddo, and we love him! I think this may be my favorite of his middle grade novels yet. It follows the story of middle schooler Trey, whose family makes a living by running cons in rich neighborhoods. Whenever the “jig is up”, the family uproots and changes their identities before settling into a new community and beginning again. Trey’s father has always assured him that the people they are scamming can afford to lose the money, but he begins to have doubts when he realizes that may not always be true.

The writing and plotting for this book are highly engaging and entertaining. Trey faces a real world ethical dilemma, and has to decide whether or not to do the right thing. It’s a truly sticky situation, and I didn’t know how he would get out of it! I read this aloud to my 10 year old, and he loved it- and that’s the best part, because he can be a tough critic. It led to some super great “what would you do?”conversations, but not in a preachy way. I would highly recommend it for tween readers!

Thank you to Netgalley and Scholastic Press for the ARC copy! This book will be available to buy July 2, 2024.

Unique circumstances!
Such an interesting story!
So much worth discussing!
Characters who are intriguing and make you want to follow along with their every move!
Korman just keeps on delivering quality stories that I want to share with and discuss with students, teachers, and other middle grade readers.

Gordon Korman writes a strong story and enjoyed getting to read this book. It had everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the family element to this book. It had everything that I was hoping for and glad I got to read this. The characters worked with the story being told and I was invested in what was going on with them. I'm excited to read more from Gordon Korman as I've enjoyed each book that I read.

Thank goodness this is a middle grade book and, for the most part, things have a happy ending because watching 7th grade Trey battle his loyalty to family, his growing desire to put down roots and leave the confidence game plus his sister’s growing determination to be a part of the deception was almost torture! Once again, Gordon Korman takes a middle grader and puts him in a position where personal growth occurs amid social and familial difficulties and does it with humor and heart. Readers of “Faker” will certainly be caught up in the various con games depicted as well as in the classroom ethics lessons that tie everything together and are the catalyst for Trey’s final decision. Well, the ethics lessons plus a certain young lady. And maybe a cat named Mona. Highly recommended for ages 9 and up. No profanity, violence or sexual content.

Gordon Korman has written more than 50 books. Faker is my second book by Gordon Korman. Recently someone on the Facebook Friends & Fiction recommended Restart; so there was some name recognition when Faker recently became available as an advance read via NetGalley. I really enjoyed Restart, so I jumped at the opportunity. (I'll be reading more books by Gordon Korman!)

Faker was the perfect book for me. I needed something GOOD. And this was a great option. I moved it to the top of my reading list and finished it quickly.

Trey's dad is a scam artist. Whenever the scam starts to crumble, they skedaddle out of town and start over somewhere new. As much as Trey has idolized his father, leaving his friends and life behind has been getting old ... and in addition his social studies teacher has introduced a new concept and Trey has been giving it a lot of thought.

Highly, highly recommend Faker.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for approving my request to read the advance read copy of Faker in exchange for an honest review. 224 pages. Publication date is 02 July 2024. I'm going to be gifting this one to my niece and nephew.

Another great book by Korman that kids will love. Trey, his dad and sister are con artists. After getting money for his schemes, the family takes off to a new place changing their names once again. After moving again, Trey decides he really likes his new school and makes friends. Even though his dad’s new scheme is becoming more and more popular, Trey thinks why can’t we stay. He’s tired of moving, of swindling others. He tells his dad he wants to be done. What does his dad decide?

Gordon Korman is a middle grade Midas. I always bake sure to have his books for kids. They are entertaining and teach lessons. Those are the best kind of books. This book gives the reader insight to ethics and citizenship. Can’t wait for kids to get their hands on this one.

Thank you Netgalley and Scholastic for this advance review copy of Faker by Gordon Kormanin exchange for a honest review! 

Trey has always looked up to his father, a sly con man who makes a living off scamming the rich. Every time Trey’s father successfully pulls off a swindle, their family moves off to some other town to trick some rich folk; but when Trey starts to see through his father’s lies, he decides he may not wanna be part of this business anymore. 

Korman truly does write some of the best middle-grade books I’ve ever read, and this is no exception! Korman writes a lot about ethics in this story, and I think that ethics are a super important part of life that a middle schooler could really benefit from learning about! This book has a great mix of interesting characters and suspenseful plot points. I loved hearing about Trey’s past with his con-man father, I loved the interactions characters had with ‘Mona’, a quirky calico. Korman added lots of fun details that really made the story enjoyable. 

Trey was a very lovable character; maybe you wouldn’t initially think that because he’s always helped his father get away with these scandals, but Trey really is a great kid who will make you ponder your morals. I think all of the characters were very interesting to read about; they all had a super-present personality that added a lot of flavor to the story! My favorite character was definitely Logan; I sympathized with his issues and thought he was pretty funny too. 

I feel like every few chapters a new fun twist was put in the story; I definitely wasn’t expecting anything that ended up happening. I can only recall one plot twist that I guessed would occur, but to be fair I only thought about it happening a chapter or two before it ensued. 

I would 100% recommend this to anyone, honestly! Korman is an excellent author; I can’t think of a novel of his that I didn’t like. 

Favorite Qoutes:

"I don’t see that Dad anymore. He hasn’t changed at all, so the difference must be me."

"But even though he was using me, I never felt used. I was important. I was part of this."


"The look on her face when she sees me wipes out all the agony of that crosstown run. Sore feet? Never heard of them. Her expression is like a sunrise bursting over a field of goldenrod–"

This book was amazing, as expected from this author! I have never read a book from this author that I didn't like, and this one did not disappoint. I really loved the plot twist at the end, it was a completely unexpected spin at the end. I loved seeing the main character slowly realize how wrong the lifestyle the lived was, and it was so cool to see him fight to fix it.

Trey and his family move around a lot because they are con-artists. Trey makes friends where ever they go and starts to make connections. Then his father comes in to convince the parents to invest in what ever his scheme may be. Once the parents invest, the family makes a quick getaway to a vacation spot out of the country. Trey fells like no one is getting hurt because they are only taking money from the rich people. They move to a town and Trey has a social studies class that starts to talk about ethics. He begins to question whether what they are doing is really right?! How can he get his father to stop and maybe actually stay in one place without hurting anyone?

I love Gordon Korman books and really enjoyed this one. It going to make the readers really think about what is right and what is not. I did wish the ending was a little longer. I felt it wrapped up too quickly though and things fell in place almost too well.

The son of a conman is trying to find a way to keep some of his friendships, but it is hard to do so when he has to be on the run. His father's operations keep him from this.
My child liked this book because the main character was the same age as him. He also enjoyed that the boy is desiring to make his family's life better.


Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to preview this book.

This was another great read from Gordon Korman. I enjoyed learning about Trey and his family’s unique lifestyle as con artists. It raised interesting ethical dilemmas. I think this is a great read for people of all ages, but would be especially great as a book club or class assigned reading to discuss. I have not read a Gordon Korman book I don’t like. Excited for this one to be published!