House of Robots: Robot Revolution (House of Robots #3)

Gr 4–6—Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez and his bro-bot E are back for another high-tech adventure. While Sammy's brilliant inventor mom is wrapped up with top-secret research, the rest of the household is starting to slip. Sammy and his second-best friend, Trip, are having trouble with their science project, and Sammy's sister Maddie still can't attend school because of her compromised immune system. The robots are feeling neglected, and E's idea to spice things up by having the robots switch jobs leads to humorous misadventures amid a robot rebellion and cries of "Viva la RoboluciÓn!" Authors Patterson and Grabenstein know what tickles a middle schooler's funny bone and artfully insert nontraditional role models. Narrator Jack Patterson keeps the clever voices and accents coming—from the twang of robot Hayseed to the snooty tones of dislikable classmate Randolph R. Reich. Brisk chapters (about three minutes each) move the action along. Although listeners do not have access to Juliana Neufeld's illustrations (featured prominently in the print book), Jack Patterson's lively narration fills the gap. VERDICT Fans of the "House of Robots" books will find this a fully satisfying adventure. Purchase where the series is popular. Reviewed by Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX.