Science Fiction: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

 I was super excited to see The Wild Robot by Peter Brown on the list of science fiction books for this week. While I had not read it previously, I remember hearing incredible reviews about it when it first came out. I also remember hearing praise when the movie came out last year, though I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. I was incredibly impressed by the story, and I highly recommend it for readers both young and older.

The Wild Robot is about a robot named Roz who becomes stranded on a deserted island after her crate is the only one to survive a shipwreck during a hurricane. She navigates the new world in a very clunky kind of way as she becomes accustomed to the environment and its inhabitants. She scares off the first family of otters that she comes across and earns a few dents in her first few hours of life. Eventually, she kills a family of geese by mistake and vows to raise the orphaned gosling. Together, the two adapt to the environment and learning through shared experiences.

I say this a lot on this blog, but I would absolutely recommend this book for a young library. Roz has so many qualities that students can learn from, and her genuine curiosity about her environment was inspiring, even as an adult reading it. She was able to learn from those around her and adjust her own behaviors accordingly (like when she copied the crab to climb up the cliffs). It also heavily touches on the theme of acceptance, as Roz and Brightbill are a very unconventional pairing that is ultimately accepted by the animal community for who they are. Looking at this through a mom's lens, I think this would be a great addition to the mini library we're trying to build in anticipation of my son's arrival. While he may not be old enough to read it for quite a while, I think it's a wonderful story that teaches curiosity, compassion, and acceptance. I also particularly loved the animal caretaker aspect, especially because the animal community is made up of animals that may not always receive much love! (By that, I mean not cats and dogs, but actual wild animals.) Coming from a veterinary background, it's incredibly important to teach my son to be accepting and caring of all creatures regardless of species, and I think this is a great way to either introduce or reinforce that idea with him.

I really appreciated the writing style of this book on top of everything else. It was incredibly easy to read, and it almost felt like the author was having a conversation rather than writing a book. There were a few times the reader was addressed directly, and on top of the way sentences and paragraphs were structured, it gave it a very personal feel. It was very easy to get lost in reading it, and I really had a good time getting through it. I think young students will definitely be interested in being "spoken" to, hopefully allowing them to enjoy the book that much more.

Overall, 10/10, absolutely would recommend.

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