The Wild Robot Escapes (The Wild Robot #2)

Gr 3-6—The lovable robot, Roz (The Wild Robot), was last seen being ripped away from her goose son, Brightbill, and hauled unwillingly back to the factory for the Makers to repair and reassign her. She is reactivated on Hilltop Farm, where Mr. Shareef expects her to tend to farm duties, including caring for the many cows and making repairs around the farm. She is programmed to obey orders, including those from Mr. Shareef's children, Jaya and Jad. Roz is homesick for her prior life on the remote island with her goose son, and all of her other animal friends, but she feels trapped, and fears Mr. Shareef will find out her secret—that she is "defective" and able to think, plan, and speak the languages of the animals. Roz is torn: while she enjoys helping on the farm and spending time with the children, she desires a reunion with her son even more. With the children's help and blessing, and the cows' assistance, Roz develops an escape plan. Readers need not have read the first installment to enjoy this sequel, though fans will root for Roz and Brightbill's reunion. Brown's illustrative talent is featured in black-and-white drawings throughout. VERDICT Science fiction meets fantasy in this delightful sequel that gives readers a unique look into what technology could someday have in store. A must-buy for any middle grade collection.—Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

In the thought-provoking sequel to Brown's middle-grade debut, The Wild Robot, the adventure picks up as the resilient Roz (short for ROZZUM unit 7134) is repaired and shipped off to Hilltop Farm. With its domesticated animals and whirring machines, the dairy farm is a far cry from the remote island that the robot has come to call home. Though her owner, Mr. Shareef, and his two children come to embrace Roz as part of the family, she is desperate to make her way back to the island and her adopted gosling son, Brightbill. Seeking their help, Roz confides in the Shareef children that she is not like other robots and asks them, "Is being different the same as being defective?" The robot's odyssey--which brings her from the countryside to the big city, where she comes face-to-face with her designer--raises poignant quandaries about the nature of love and selfhood. While such questions remain unresolved, Roz emerges as a striking symbol of humanity for the very reason that she poses and ponders them. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management (Mar.)