Watchdog

by Will McIntosh (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Thirteen-year-old twins Vick and Tara have built an incredible machine--a loyal robotic watchdog named Daisy. But, when local crime boss Ms. Alba schemes to add Daisy to her robot army, Vick and Tara must go to great lengths to protect their prized pet. Because Daisy is more than just any robot--she's their constant protector, and together the three make a great team.

Vick and Tara are determined to stop the mob from tearing their little family apart. And they might just succeed! Sure, the evil Ms. Alba has more robot watchdogs, but none are as smart--or as faithful--as their Daisy. Plus, if things get too dangerous, Tara could always upgrade their pet. With her mechanical skills, she could make Daisy bigger, stronger, and a lot more intimidating!

A Junior Library Guild Selection

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Kirkus

The grim setting is vividly depicted, and the clever-kid-against-mean-adult trope is both plausible and very satisfying. The fast-paced narrative readily conveys the looming sense of ever present danger. Engaging, suspenseful, and with nearly all the vivid fighting confined to robots, this gritty tale is perfect for a younger audience than most post-apocalyptic stories.

ALA/Booklist

This fast-paced sci-fi adventure with an unsettling dystopian atmosphere should find easy appeal among a wide range of readers.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6—In a near-future, robot-filled Chicago, things are tough for Vick and Tara, twins who are Brumbies, or homeless kids. Like others of their kind, they scavenge the city dump in search of scrap to sell or that Tara, who has autism, uses to make robots that are better than anyone else's. Her talent gets them in trouble, though, when she creates a creature that ruthless forces will stop at nothing to capture. The twins must team up with a band of other techie Brumbies to outwit Ms. Alba and her henchmen, some of them fearsome robots, and find the safety they've craved since becoming orphans. Middle graders will enjoy the robot elements as well as the fast-paced action as the twins evade violence and mete out some of their own. McIntosh, author of adult speculative fiction and short stories, crafts a credible world with relatable characters. VERDICT This compelling drama with cool tech themes and bad guys getting their comeuppance is a winner; hand to fans of Michael Buckley's "NERDS" and Stuart Gibbs's "Spy School" series.—Henrietta Verma, National Information Standards Organization, Baltimore

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes


Will McIntosh
Will McIntosh is the author of several adult novels; many short stories; one young adult novel, Burning Midnight; and one middle-grade novel. He won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story and was a finalist for the Locus Award, and his novel Love Minus Eighty was an ALA-RUSA Reading List Selection for Science Fiction. Watchdog is his first novel for middle-grade readers. Will lives with his wife and twin children in Williamsburg, Virginia. Check out willmcintosh.net and follow him on Twitter at @WillMcIntoshSF to learn about his other sci-fi adventures.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781524713874
Lexile Measure
740
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Yearling Books
Publication date
May 07, 2019
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV053000 - Juvenile Fiction | Science Fiction
JUV002070 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dogs
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV056000 - Juvenile Fiction | Robots
Library of Congress categories
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