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A review by janebranson
Brand New Boy by David Almond
4.0
George is a new boy at Daniel's school. He is pale and tidy and he speaks rather strangely, but he's brilliant at maths and football and when he goes home for tea with Daniel, the cat loves him.
The teachers are weirdly excited about George and soon it becomes clear he isn't an ordinary boy at all, but a very intelligent, learning robot. What will Daniel and his mates do when their new friend George gets packed away in his box?
This is a brilliantly written story which lightly poses some profound questions. Why do people ever do as they are told? What makes us who we are? Who has the right to create life? Is AI a good thing? As you'd expect from Almond, the dialogue is perfectly observed and wittily done, and the relationships are real and tender. I particularly enjoyed the scenes between Dan and his mum, a beauty salon owner engaged in her own version of making people feel 'brand new'.
Accessible, pacy and thought-provoking with lively illustrations by Marta Altes, this is a great novel to read with or recommend to 9-11 year olds.
The teachers are weirdly excited about George and soon it becomes clear he isn't an ordinary boy at all, but a very intelligent, learning robot. What will Daniel and his mates do when their new friend George gets packed away in his box?
This is a brilliantly written story which lightly poses some profound questions. Why do people ever do as they are told? What makes us who we are? Who has the right to create life? Is AI a good thing? As you'd expect from Almond, the dialogue is perfectly observed and wittily done, and the relationships are real and tender. I particularly enjoyed the scenes between Dan and his mum, a beauty salon owner engaged in her own version of making people feel 'brand new'.
Accessible, pacy and thought-provoking with lively illustrations by Marta Altes, this is a great novel to read with or recommend to 9-11 year olds.