2015-01-07
Sammy is less than thrilled when his genius inventor mother creates a robot brother for him.Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez's life has always been filled with robots. His mother has invented automatons that clean the floors, mow the lawn, give traffic reports and even plant fantastic gardens. Sammy's school has until now been a robot-free zone, but when Mom invents E (for Egghead, or maybe Einstein Jr.—his parents can't decide) and insists Sammy take the new robot to school, things get out of hand. Chronicling the ups and downs of an entire school year with a robot brother, the authors put cute sci-fi twists on first-time crushes, school bullies and best-friend troubles. There's nothing here that breaks new ground or illuminates the psyche of young boys in any new or interesting ways, but there are plenty of amusing jokes. Young readers with an interest in science will certainly be engaged. A subplot featuring Sammy's younger sister, a brilliant girl who is homebound by severe combined immunodeficiency disorder, is as by-the-numbers as the rest of the book, but it doesn't tie in to the robot plot until the very end. It's hard to tell if this development is a clumsy climax or an awkward setup for a sequel. Either way, it doesn't work well with everything that came beforehand. A perfectly acceptable and predictable trifle. (Science fiction. 9-12)
If your kids have robots-on-the-brain (in other words, they can’t stop, won’t stop talking about and building robots) then these books are for you. They will buy you countless seconds until the next robot-related question comes at you, like, “What if I built a robot to clean my room?” But seriously, these robot-themed easy reader, […]
Ever wondered what your kiddos should read next after finishing one of James Patterson’s awesome books? Well, who better to ask than the bestselling author himself? We got the chance to pose some of our most burning questions about Patterson’s creative process and what books by other authors he recommends to his fans. His latest […]
Prolific author James Patterson created his children’s book imprint, Jimmy Patterson, with one simple objective: “We want every kid who finishes a Jimmy Book to say, ‘Please give me another book.’” And with his latest illustrated novel collaboration with Chris Grabenstein—Laugh Out Loud, which hits shelves Aug. 28—he continues to accomplish his mission to deliver […]
Fall fans: it’s finally October! There’s a chill in the air and the wind is picking up, which means it’s the perfect time for young readers to cozy up with a brand new book. Fortunately, this month we are spoiled for choice when it comes to great new reads for the 8 to 12 set; from the second novel in […]
It is a truth universally acknowledged that children love robots—and it’s a love that is so much purer and more innocent than the love that adults have for them. An adult asks about a robot, “Will it vacuum my floor, or make me coffee?” A child asks, “Will it be my friend? Can it come to school with […]