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singerji's review
2.0
Weird Little Robots is a story about girls and science. Penny Rose, a new girl in town, likes to build tiny robots out of discarded items. She tentatively meets and befriends Lark, a strange girl in her class who likes birdwatching and birdhouses. Penny also becomes involved with a mysterious science club at school -- but the members of that science club don't like Lark.
I liked the characters of Penny and Lark as being shy, awkward girls, more interested in their hobbies than in fitting into fifth grade social norms. Carolyn Crimi sprinkled some nice nods to female scientists and engineers. However, the plot seemed a little disjointed and unfinished, with a mysterious force giving Penny's robots some independent life. I wanted to know more about the history and workings of the Secret Science club, and I never really got why they wanted to exclude Lark.
I liked the characters of Penny and Lark as being shy, awkward girls, more interested in their hobbies than in fitting into fifth grade social norms. Carolyn Crimi sprinkled some nice nods to female scientists and engineers. However, the plot seemed a little disjointed and unfinished, with a mysterious force giving Penny's robots some independent life. I wanted to know more about the history and workings of the Secret Science club, and I never really got why they wanted to exclude Lark.
msdinthelibrary's review
3.0
Thank you @kidlitexchange and @candlewickpress for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Weird Little Robots is a delightful story about friendship, fitting in (and not fitting in), and gaining the confidence to be yourself. This book will appeal to strong readers in second grade and up; it reads younger than middle grade, but I would still recommend to students in up to 5th grade. Illustrated by one of my favorite children's book creators (@corinnaluyken) and written by a new-to-me author #carolyncrimi, the detailed illustrations will carry students throughout the story. Many students will see themselves in Penny Rose; she is in a new town at a new school. She loves science, and spends most of her time building robots out of found objects in her shed. Penny Rose desperately wants to be part of the science club, but that means she will have to leave her new friend and fellow robot-enthusiast Lark behind. Our protagonists face real choices and consequences our students face today. The author also sprinkles in some elements of fantasy, giving the reader a secret to share with Penny Rose and Lark. I'm so happy to see more and more stories that involve girls who are into science. Weird Little Robots was published in October 2019. This will make a fantastic addition as an intermediate chapter book in your library!
Weird Little Robots is a delightful story about friendship, fitting in (and not fitting in), and gaining the confidence to be yourself. This book will appeal to strong readers in second grade and up; it reads younger than middle grade, but I would still recommend to students in up to 5th grade. Illustrated by one of my favorite children's book creators (@corinnaluyken) and written by a new-to-me author #carolyncrimi, the detailed illustrations will carry students throughout the story. Many students will see themselves in Penny Rose; she is in a new town at a new school. She loves science, and spends most of her time building robots out of found objects in her shed. Penny Rose desperately wants to be part of the science club, but that means she will have to leave her new friend and fellow robot-enthusiast Lark behind. Our protagonists face real choices and consequences our students face today. The author also sprinkles in some elements of fantasy, giving the reader a secret to share with Penny Rose and Lark. I'm so happy to see more and more stories that involve girls who are into science. Weird Little Robots was published in October 2019. This will make a fantastic addition as an intermediate chapter book in your library!
kateteaching7and8's review
5.0
@kidlitexchange #partner
Thank you to the publisher @candlewickpress, the publisher @carolyncrimi1228, and the illustrator @corinnaluyken for sharing an advance copy of Weird Little Robots with the #kidlitexchange network. This book will be available in October 2019. All opinions are my own.
Penny Rose has just moved into a new town and has yet to make any friends. Currently, her only company are the robots she makes out of random objects like calculators, broken cellphones, and marbles. After spending her birthday alone, Penny Rose makes a wish and with a little bit of magic her life drastically changes. First, she becomes best friends with Lark, then they discover that the robots have come to life and, finally, Penny Rose is invited to join a secret science club. Penny Rose ends up having to choose between her best friend and the science club she's dreamed of and her poor little robots end up facing the consequences of her actions.
Weird Little Robots is a beautifully written story of friendship and trust. I love that there is a strong focus on the love of science. Penny Rose loves building robots, Lark loves ornithology, and one of the other girls in the science club is into environmental science. I love that Lark embraces who she is through and through and that Penny Rose eventually learns to do this too. This book is also about forgiveness, trust, and being there for your friends. Lark is the perfect example of this. This story is written in such a warm, fun, and inviting way. I was pulled into Penny Rose and Lark's world from page one. Luyken also did an amazing job of illustrating the book and bringing Crimi's characters to life.
Thank you to the publisher @candlewickpress, the publisher @carolyncrimi1228, and the illustrator @corinnaluyken for sharing an advance copy of Weird Little Robots with the #kidlitexchange network. This book will be available in October 2019. All opinions are my own.
Penny Rose has just moved into a new town and has yet to make any friends. Currently, her only company are the robots she makes out of random objects like calculators, broken cellphones, and marbles. After spending her birthday alone, Penny Rose makes a wish and with a little bit of magic her life drastically changes. First, she becomes best friends with Lark, then they discover that the robots have come to life and, finally, Penny Rose is invited to join a secret science club. Penny Rose ends up having to choose between her best friend and the science club she's dreamed of and her poor little robots end up facing the consequences of her actions.
Weird Little Robots is a beautifully written story of friendship and trust. I love that there is a strong focus on the love of science. Penny Rose loves building robots, Lark loves ornithology, and one of the other girls in the science club is into environmental science. I love that Lark embraces who she is through and through and that Penny Rose eventually learns to do this too. This book is also about forgiveness, trust, and being there for your friends. Lark is the perfect example of this. This story is written in such a warm, fun, and inviting way. I was pulled into Penny Rose and Lark's world from page one. Luyken also did an amazing job of illustrating the book and bringing Crimi's characters to life.
barberchicago_books's review
4.0
What a sweet book. Started a tad slow, but once it got going, the rollercoaster ride was a good one. Penny Rose and Lark show kids that “quirky” is a good thing, that creativity takes so very many forms, and that friendship sometimes means risking something you really want. Will definitely add this one to my library!
piquant's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
shayemiller's review
3.0
This is a cute younger middle grade magical realism story about a 9-year-old girl named Penny Rose who just moved to a new town. She’s not great at making friends and she enjoys creating little robots out of anything she finds (pencil sharpener, a pair of dentures, etc.). She wants friends more than anything, but somehow her little robots fill that need in the meantime. Little does she know that her neighbor, Lark, does the same thing with bird houses — piecing them together with odds and ends. So when the two meet up one day, they really hit it off. However, friendships are complicated, especially when secret science clubs and new friends get stirred into the mix.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
mrskatiefitz's review
3.0
Weird Little Robots was a weird little book, but not in a negative way. Two young girls, Penny and Lark, who like to invent and tinker, bond as friends when the robots they build together begin coming to life. Unfortunately, just as their friendship begins to blossom, Penny is invited to join a secret science club, and Lark, who has the reputation of being a bit unusual, is decidedly unwelcome. Slowly, Penny begins to realize that not all the members of her new club are as honest and kind as she imagines. In fact, the robots may be in danger, and Lark, odd though she might be, may just be Penny's truest friend after all. This is a quick and gentle read for the younger end of the middle grade spectrum. I appreciate the fresh take on the age-old friendship stories that are so popular at this reading level, and the use of magical realism is really engaging and raises the stakes in a way that makes the story more suspenseful and more fun to read.
This review also appears on Instagram.
This review also appears on Instagram.
jill_rey's review against another edition
4.0
Penny Rose is new to town, lacking in friends she spends her time creating robots in the family shed out back. So, when she discovers Lark, also friendless and never without her sunglasses, they quickly become best friends. Penny Rose and Lark are perfect compliments – Penny Rose in her creation of robots from “junk,” and Lark in her artistic love for making bird houses. Together they create the perfect Robot Town.
Author, Carolyn Crimi, gives readers a heartwarming read of friendship, trust and forgiveness with so many lessons handpicked for readers young and old. Especially enduring is Crimi’s nod to female scientists and engineers throughout, a great reminder that girls can do anything! The illustrations dispersed within further add to the marvel and imagery Penny Rose’s robots spark in the reader’s mind.
*Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Author, Carolyn Crimi, gives readers a heartwarming read of friendship, trust and forgiveness with so many lessons handpicked for readers young and old. Especially enduring is Crimi’s nod to female scientists and engineers throughout, a great reminder that girls can do anything! The illustrations dispersed within further add to the marvel and imagery Penny Rose’s robots spark in the reader’s mind.
*Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
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