The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
MG Sci-fi. 282 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
Can a robot survive in the wilderness?
When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is—but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants.
As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home—until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her.
From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide.
My Review:
I’ve heard a lot about this book. And buzz can either be accurate or not. I’m thankful to report in this case, The Wild Robot was worth the read. This was such a cute little read, and now I’d like to see the movie to see if it’s as good as they say!
I picked this one up as part of my middle grade market research. Several booksellers said kids were eating this one up and they were flying off the shelves. After pulling it out and setting it on my nightstand, I figured I’d just see how many pages and chapters there were – give the book my standard once-over before I dive into it the next day. Lo and behold, I read the first chapter and then looked up and realized I was 50 pages in.
Not only is the story engaging and the setting a fun mismash of nature and technology, but the short, focused chapters kept me turning pages. I think I read the book in three sittings – and honestly may have read it in one if I didn’t really need to go to bed like an adult.
This would be good for reluctant readers or bedtime stories for your kids. Each chapter is bite-sized and leaves you wanting more. There’s a great sense of momentum as you read. And the illustrations are just as quaint as the story itself.
I found myself incredibly invested in this little island of animals and delighted by a few twists and turns in the story, too. I am definitely really glad I read this one and now very curious about the second one. I would certainly recommend this one. It’s a heartfelt, adventurous, quick and quirky little read. And its themes of understanding, compassion, survival, persistence, forgiveness, the cycle of nature, and service to others could foster some cool conversations with kiddos. This one’s done right.
Middle grade, so no swearing, no romance, a little bit of nature violence and a little bit of robot violence. I’d feel comfortable giving this to most kids. There are a few deaths as a natural part of the cycle of life, so if you have a kid very sensitive to that, it may be worth reading first to judge for yourself if your kid is ready for this (which should always be the default case anyway). But nothing here was near as traumatic as Charlotte’s Web or Old Yellar, so I would consider it pretty mild personally.
More
Book 1 in the Wild Robot trilogy is The Wild Robot (5 Stars)
Book 2 is The Wild Robot Escapes
Book 3 is The Wild Robot Protects
I haven’t read the sequels yet, but I hope to. It appears that this trilogy should be read in order!
On GraceBought
If you liked this book, you may also like:
Please Return to the Lands of Luxury, Charlotte’s Web, The Green Ember, or On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
For a few YA titles, check out: