The Wild Robot (Volume 1)

I've heard a lot about this book. And buzz can either be accurate or not. I'm thankful to report in this case, The Wild Robot was worth the read. This was such a cute little read, and now I'd like to see the movie to see if it's as good as they say! I picked this one up as part of my middle grade market research. Several booksellers said kids were eating this one up and they were flying off the shelves. After pulling it out and setting it on my nightstand, I figured I'd just see how many pages and chapters there were - give the book my standard once-over before I dive into it the next day. Lo and behold, I read the first chapter and then looked up and realized I was 50 pages in. Not only is the story engaging and the setting a fun mismash of nature and technology, but the short, focused chapters kept me turning pages. I think I read the book in three sittings - and honestly may have read it in one if I didn't really need to go to bed like an adult. This would be good for reluctant readers or bedtime stories for your kids. Each chapter is bite-sized and leaves you wanting more. There's a great sense of momentum as you read. And the illustrations are just as quaint as the story itself. I found myself incredibly invested in this little island of animals and delighted by a few twists and turns in the story, too. I am definitely really glad I read this one and now very curious about the second one. I would certainly recommend this one. It's a heartfelt, adventurous, quick and quirky little read. And its themes of understanding, compassion, survival, persistence, forgiveness, the cycle of nature, and service to others could foster some cool conversations with kiddos. This one's done right. Middle grade, so no swearing, no romance, a little bit of nature violence and a little bit of robot violence. I'd feel comfortable giving this to most kids. There are a few deaths as a natural part of the cycle of life, so if you have a kid very sensitive to that, it may be worth reading first to judge for yourself if your kid is ready for this (which should always be the default case anyway). But nothing here was near as traumatic as Charlotte's Web or Old Yellar, so I would consider it pretty mild personally.

The Wild Robot is a thoughtful story that kept my child engaged from the very first chapter. The short chapters make it easy to read a little each night, and the mix of adventure, animals, and gentle emotions works beautifully for young readers. I also appreciate that there is a movie adaptation. Reading the book first and then watching the movie made the experience even more fun, my child loved seeing the characters come to life and comparing the two versions. I purchased the hardcover edition, and it’s very well made. It feels sturdy, looks nice, and is definitely the version I would choose if giving this book as a gift.

I loved reading this book out loud to my kiddos, three and six. We definitely watched the movie first. But this was great as we could do some “compare and contrast” between the book and movie. My children stayed engaged and listened well throughout the book which I found impressive. But the story really is just that good! The boys loved the book so much, we’ve also already read the second book! We will be buying the third one soon! These books are too good to simply rent from the library! I’m happy to have them in our collection!

I got The Wild Robot a while back because I'm trying to increase the number of chapter books that I am reading aloud to my kids. My kids are currently 8, 6, and 3. We just finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire which is a massive book for the age of my kids. I wanted to take a break from the Harry Potter series before we started that one, but my daughter was determined to push forward. I am forcing a break before we move into book 5 though because the subject matter gets more mature and the plot gets more complex. But back to The Wild Robot. I might have an easier time convincing my kids to pick this one as our read-aloud option before bed if I were more familiar with it. So I get the audiobook from the e-library. Kate Atwater does a wonderful job with the narration. She is robotic when Roz speaks without being too over the top. And her voices for the other characters were just enough to distinguish them without making it feel like too much either. I think my kids would enjoy the audiobook version as well, since I have the Kindle version, I will probably just read this aloud to them when convenient. Kate did give me a great jumping-off point to guide my own inflection while reading aloud. The book description tells you about all that I can when it comes to plot. Roz is a robot that wakes up on an island. Some robot pieces were scattered around where she wakes up, and she realizes that she's the only robot who survived. And survival is exactly what Roz needs. I love this concept. That's what most of us humans are doing as well. We're surviving. We have to survive in the basic sense of feeding and clothing ourselves. Of course, our society is more advanced in technology so we have many of our survival needs almost on autopilot. But there's still more we have to survive. We need other humans for survival. We need relationships. And so we have to manage, navigate, and sometimes survive our relationships. And how we survive becomes learned and ingrained. Roz does the same thing. She has to adapt to her environment to survive. She doesn't have basic needs as far as eating or sleeping. She can rest, but many of her instincts are about helping her not to die rather than needing xyz to survive. Either way, she sees that she needs to learn from the animals on the island if she's going to survive. But life should go beyond mere survival. Of course, if we don't have our basic needs met, we can't look beyond that to relationships. But once we have the basics we can move from surviving to thriving. Roz shows us that the most satisfying "survival" we can have is to be helpful to others. We can create better relationships that allow us to both survive and thrive when we're living a life that helps and serves those around us. Roz goes from being viewed as a monster in the eyes of the animals on the island to being family. I'm always on the lookout for books with strong moral values--especially if those can be taught in a way that doesn't cram the message down the reader's throat. The Wild Robot succeeded in that area. When we get to the end of the book, the stakes are raised, and the adventure peaks. Some sensitive readers might find this to be too intense for them, but I think my kids would be just fine. They survived Cedric Diggory's murder as well as Charlotte's self-sacrifice from Charlotte's Web. So I think they will handle The Wild Robot without any issues. I'm not sure if we'll continue the series as I've heard less than stellar opinions about the subsequent books in this series. But for now, The Wild Robot gets 4 Stars. Have you read (or listened to) The Wild Robot? What did you think? Let me know!

Such a cute book. My 3rd grade class loved this book as a read aloud for class discussions. My students loved the illustrations throughout the book.

We purchased this book as part of the series for our son’s summer reading program. We also purchased the reading workbook that goes with it to help with fluency and understanding. He is a 3rd grader and the book is on the harder side for him but a good book and keeps him engaged and interested in conversations about the book. The chapters are short and easy to get through when setting chapter goals. Some chapters are only a page long making it obtainable for him to read multiple at one time without being overwhelmed. We look forward to the other books in this series.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that blends adventure, nature, and technology in a way that appeals to readers of all ages. The story follows Roz, a robot who unexpectedly finds herself stranded on a remote island. As she navigates the challenges of survival and adapts to the natural world, she discovers the complexities of life, friendship, and what it truly means to be alive. What makes this book especially engaging is its thoughtful exploration of themes such as empathy, community, and the environment. Roz is a robot, but her journey is deeply human—her growth and learning reflect the importance of connection and understanding, even in the most unlikely circumstances. My 10-year-old daughter absolutely loved this novel. She was drawn to Roz’s transformation from a cold, programmed machine to a caring, sentient being who forms bonds with the island’s creatures. The mix of humor, adventure, and heart made it an easy read for her, while still offering depth that sparked some great conversations about nature, technology, and what it means to belong. The illustrations by Peter Brown, which complement the story, were a big hit with my daughter too. They added a rich visual element to the narrative and helped bring the world of the island and its inhabitants to life in a way that made the book even more engaging. Overall, The Wild Robot is a perfect choice for young readers, offering both entertainment and valuable lessons. It’s the kind of book that not only keeps kids hooked but also encourages them to think about the world in a deeper way. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a unique and heartfelt story that both children and adults can enjoy.

I’m a sucker for robots and nature, so I loved it. Ends on a cliffhanger so be prepared to keep going. The illustrations are perfect.

Great story, as are accompanying books including picture book. Now a film. Covers so many layers: adjusting to different worlds, growing up, accepting each other. V positive.

My 12 years old son liked it 👍

my class and i loved this book. it had a great story line and very descriptive language. thank a lot

Wonderful book with a great story line for our grandson. He enjoys reading it to his family and looks forward to reading other Robot books in the series.

Superbe livre.On collectionne.