A thief. A spy. A mysterious codebook. And a whole lot of trouble.

It’s 1940 and World War II is being fought in faraway Europe. Lizard doesn’t know much about that. He lives in Singapore’s Chinatown, surviving on odd jobs and petty theft.

When Boss Man Beng asks him to steal a teak box from a suite in the glamorous Raffles Hotel, Lizard knows the job is important. But can he know just how dangerous it is?

A sinister man appears in the shadows, and Lizard’s best friend, Lili, shows up with unexpected fighting skills and her eye on what’s in the box.

And Lizard finds himself on an exciting, action-packed adventure in a world of coded secrets, Japanese invasion plans and undercover spies.

Weng Wai Chan was born and grew up in Singapore. She now lives in Auckland with her husband and three children. Lizard's Tale is her first book.

‘I loved streetwise Lizard; his loyalty, grit and optimism as he grapples with the criminal underworld, his lost uncle and the shadowy manoeuvres and menaces of WWII. Funny, moving and full of action, Lizard’s Tale is a spy story where the kids are more than capable of handling themselves, the stakes are high and there’s a surprise or secret around every corner.’ Leanne Hall