Robot Island
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Forced into stealing valuable books from a rich widow, Willis takes refuge on an abandoned island populated by robots in this new middle-grade novel by acclaimed writer Cary Fagan. For fans of The Wild Robot.
It isn't bad enough that Willis has to live with his cold uncle Tod in a dusty old house of used books. He can't even spend time with his friends Harrison and Galaxi because of the nasty after-school jobs his uncle makes him take on. But then his uncle asks him to visit an old widow lady in the mansion on the hill.
To his surprise, Willis likes Mrs. Shorthouse and even the books they read together (Little Women, Great Expectations). Meanwhile, taking a rowboat ride, Willis discovers an abandoned town from the 1950s populated by square-headed robots. What is the connection between Mrs. Shorthouse and Robot Island? What will happen after the police find out that Willis has been stealing rare books from the mansion? And when Willis turns on the electricity and the robots of Robot Island come to life, will they turn out to be friends or enemies?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the eight years since his parents died, Willis has lived a Dickensian existence with his cold uncle Tod. The now-12-year-old is responsible for cleaning the used bookshop in which they live, cooks every meal, and is forbidden from spending time with his friends outside of school. When Uncle Tod assigns Willis a new task—reading to wealthy local Mrs. Shorthouse—the youth isn't expecting to enjoy the experience, yet he comes to relish his time with the kind widow and her caustic teenage great-niece Daphne. One day, Willis stumbles upon an abandoned locale seemingly straight out of the 1950s: a lake island on the outskirts of his small English town houses a prototype community, created by the late Mr. Shorthouse, where all the work is done by robots. Willis's joy about his discovery is short-lived, however, as Uncle Tod demands that Willis steal rare books from Mrs. Shorthouse for him to sell, prompting Willis—wracked with guilt over his complicity in his uncle's cruel schemes—to push away friends both new and old. Abrupt perspective shifts and underdeveloped characterizations sometimes disrupt momentum. Still, the novel's tantalizing premise proves intriguing and will charm readers in search of a cozy and thought-provoking tale. Main characters read as white. Ages 8–12.
