House of Robots (House of Robots #1)

by James Patterson (Author) Juliana Neufeld (Illustrator)

House of Robots (House of Robots #1)
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: House of Robots

In this highly-illustrated series from James Patterson, an extraordinary robot signs up for an ordinary fifth grade class . . . and elementary school will never be the same!

It was never easy for Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez to fit in, so he's dreading the day when his genius mom insists he bring her newest invention to school: a walking, talking robot he calls E-for "Error".

Sammy's no stranger to robots; his house is full of a colorful cast of them. But this one not only thinks it's Sammy's brother . . . it's actually even nerdier than Sammy. Will E be Sammy's one-way ticket to Loserville? Or will he prove to the world that it's cool to be square? It's a roller-coaster ride for Sammy to discover the amazing secret E holds that could change family forever . . . if all goes well on the trial run!

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Publishers Weekly

Patterson and Grabenstein, collaborators on the I Funny books, launch the House of Robots series, about Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez and his family, whose household brims with robots invented by his genius mother. Fifth-grader Sammy is mortified when his mother insists that E, her newest invention, accompany him to school. The comically disruptive robot—who Neufeld draws to resemble C-3PO crossed with a stereotypical geek—contradicts teachers, escalates a food fight, and sparks a fire after his feverish recitation of science facts overloads his circuit boards. Underlying the novel's laughs are themes of friendship, compassion, and family, particularly in regard to Sammy's devotion to his younger sister, who is housebound due to severe immunodeficiency, and his deepening relationship with his "bro-bot." E's disappearance interjects a splash of mystery into the story, while Neufeld's (Treasure Hunters) raucous cartoons and comics sequences (not all seen by PW) amp up the comedy with slapstick action, metafictional gags, and lots of robo-gadgetry. Ages 8-12. Author's agent: (for Patterson) Robert Barnett and Deneen Howell, Williams & Connolly LLP; (for Grabenstein) Eric Myers, Spieler Agency. Illustrator's agency: Shannon Associates. (Dec.)

Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6—Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez has never had an easy time fitting in at school. His mother is an inventor, his father is a graphic novel artist, and his beloved little sister has an immune condition that keeps her confined to the house. His best friend Trip has a talent for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. And then, there are the robots: a houseful of his mother's creations, programmed to do everything from housework to tutoring, plus some that don't do anything useful at all. When Sammy's mother insists that he take a robot named E to school with him, he knows that he's in for a record-breaking amount of teasing and trouble-and when E starts insisting that he is Sammy's brother, the situation goes from bad to worse. Sammy refuses to have anything to do with E at school, even when the robot's popularity starts to eclipse Sammy's and Trip's. But when E is kidnapped, Sammy realizes that he was starting to get fond of his robot brother, and he teams up with friends (both human and robot) to solve the mystery of E's disappearance. This light and funny story incorporates plenty of humor, both in the text and in the accompanying comic-style illustrations. Sammy's relationships with his parents, sister, and best friend are strong, if not particularly nuanced. A fast-moving plot, lots of jokes, and a host of weird robots will draw readers in, especially those looking for books similar to series such as "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (Abrams/Amulet) and "Timmy Failure" (Candlewick).—Misti Tidman, Licking County Library, Newark, OH

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for House of Robots A #1 New York Times Bestseller
James Patterson

James Patterson is the world's bestselling author. The creator of Max Einstein and Middle School, he founded JIMMY Patterson to publish books that young readers will love. He lives in Florida with his family.

Martin Chatterton was born in Liverpool, England and has been successfully writing and illustrating books for almost thirty years. He has written dozens of children's books and illustrated many more for other writers, including several British Children's Laureates. His work has been published in fourteen languages and has won and been shortlisted in numerous awards in the UK, US, and Australia. Alongside writing for children, Martin writes crime fiction (as Ed Chatterton), continues to work as a graphic designer, and is currently working on his PhD. After time spent in the US, Martin now divides his time between Australia and the UK. Daniel Griffo was always drawn towards creating and drawing images. In his teens, he became a self-taught comic illustrator and worked for both Argentinean and Italian publishers. As a freelance illustrator, Daniel has worked for many large companies including Image Comics, Warner, and Scholastic. He currently resides in Argentina with his wife and children.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780316405911
Lexile Measure
750
Guided Reading Level
T
Publisher
Jimmy Patterson
Publication date
November 24, 2014
Series
House of Robots
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV035000 - Juvenile Fiction | School & Education
JUV013070 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Siblings
JUV056000 - Juvenile Fiction | Robots
Library of Congress categories
Humorous stories
Families
Family life
Schools
Robots
Middle schools
Inventors

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