A Boy and His Bot

November 1, 2010
Wilson brings the expertise of his adult titles How to Survive a Robot Uprising and How to Build a Robot Army (and a Ph.D. in robotics) to his first middle-grade novel, a campy down-the-robot-hole adventure. Shy sixth-grader Code Lightfall is not a boy of action, but on a field trip, he falls down a hole in Mek Mound, an ancient Oklahoman pyramid where his grandfather disappeared a year earlier. Code finds himself lost in Mekhos, a metallic land of robots ("Mekhos makes no sense!" he complains. "You robots are impossible. Everything is either too small to see or too big to figure out"). When Code discovers that his grandfather is being controlled by the evil Immortalis, who is holding captive the sacred Robonomicon, he teams up with friends Peep, a robot bug, and Gary, a crazed "atomic slaughterbot," and travels through treacherous territory to the Celestial City to prevent the destruction of the robot and human worlds. With a goofy sense of humor and plenty of action, Wilson presents a coming-of-age journey with shades of Alice in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Ages 8–12.

November 15, 2010

A dreamy lad traverses a world inhabited by robots in this loose-jointed picaresque. Falling through a hole atop an ancient mound in Oklahoma, young Code finds himself in the Greater Mekhos Co-Prosperity Sphere, an entirely robotic land set up centuries ago as a science experiment. It is now threatened by its squidlike magnate Immortalis, who has taken the first step toward conquering both Mekhos and Earth by commanding every robot to disassemble itself. Scotching those plans requires much derring-do. Code must escape deadly metal gardeners in the Toparian Wyldes, ride herd on a huge and enthusiastic Atomic Slaughterbot named Gary, defeat a snotty but well-armed defender of Clockwork City and finally ingest the (fortunately small) Robonomicon, a universal database that transforms Code into a powerful cyborg. Along the way, he meets various chatty inhabitants, such as the seemingly endless Infinipede and dinner-party robohostess Lady Watterly. Diaphanous the plot may be, but the climax brings on plenty of large-scale destruction, and fans of Dale Basye's Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go (2008) and other underworld odysseys will relish the wink-wink satire. (Fantasy/SF. 11-13)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

June 1, 2011

Gr 4-6-Code Lightfall's philosophy on life has always been to do nothing whenever any decision is required. That's always the safest bet. While on a class trip to Mek Mound, Code finds himself alone in an entirely different world that is populated by robots. He learns that Mekhos is in trouble; an evil robot has taken control of the king, Code's grandfather, who disappeared the previous summer. Immortalis has started the great disassembly, causing everything in Mekhos to be taken apart. Unless the sixth grader can do something, he will be stuck in Mekhos and his grandfather will be killed-and he only has four days to do it. He creates a robot sidekick that helps him get around and adds an element of humor. Wilson has created a whole new world with its own set of rules and history. Code, a boy who feels apart from everyone, feels far more comfortable interacting with robots whose behavior is more predictable than that of humans. The lessons he learns during his adventure teach him how to come out of his comfort zone and face any situation with confidence.-Erik Carlson, White Plains Public Library, NY

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2011
Grades 5-8 On a field trip to some ancient Indian burial mounds, robot-obsessed Code finds himself thrown into an alternate subterranean realm, Mekhos, full of robots in all shapes and sizes. The only other human in this world is Codes grandfather, who had set himself up as the king but is being held captive by an evil machine, Immortalis. With plans to remake Mekhos and then invade Earth, Immortalis orders the destruction of all the robots. Wilson avoids the heavy-handed messages of many alternate-universe stories with humorous Oz-like details. For example, Code must make his way to the Celestial City with his tiny robot friend, Peep, and a cowardly assassin robot named Gary. The story gains depth from its mixed ending, in which Code isnt able to solve every problem. A good choice for science fiction fans, this will pair nicely with Andrew Newbounds Ghoul Strike! (2010), which also presents an alternate world with touches of humor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)