Weird Little Robots by Carolyn Crimi illustrated by Corinna Luyken

 

Penny Rose loves creating things from found and recycled materials. Her latest project is the creation of five robots. 

"She had made them with odd items that pleased her, like a meat thermometer, a cell phone, a calculator, a pair of old dentures. One robot had a marble eye that Penny Rose had found in the town graveyard."

The robots have cute names: iPam, Fraction, Clunk, Sharpie and Data. On the night of her birthday something happens to her robots - something magical:

"And maybe it was the force of her determination, or a few stray whiskers from her cat, Arvid, or that northerly wind blowing in through the window that changed every single item in that shed on that cool September afternoon. Or maybe it was simply a desperate wish from a lonely girl."

Her family have just moved to this new town and Penny Rose would like a friend. Her robots are her friends but there is a girl right across the road called Lark. Perhaps there is a way Lark might become her friend. Sure, this can happen but there will be complications along the way along with some special discoveries about those quirky robots who now seem to have their own agenda. 

This is a sweet little story about the importance of friendship and the wonderful things that can happen if you believe in magic and there is just the right amount of tension to keep you turning the pages. I think readers aged 8+ will enjoy this book. I do like the subtitle: Two science geeks, five robots. One incredible adventure.

Penguin Random House blurb: Eleven-year-old Penny Rose has just moved to a new town, and so far the robots she builds herself are her only company. But with just a bit of magic, everything changes: she becomes best friends with Lark, has the chance to join a secret science club, and discovers that her robots are alive. Penny Rose hardly remembers how lonely she used to feel. But then a fateful misstep forces her to choose between the best friend she’s always hoped for and the club she’s always dreamed of, and in the end it may be her beloved little robots that pay the price.

Here is a set of teaching notes and questions from the US publisher Candlewick. The US copy has a different cover:

There are so many things to love about this charming little tale of friendship and creativity, science and magic. The girls are interesting and interested in the world around them. But it's the robots who steal the show. Reading Style

Carolyn Crimi’s prose is crisp and inviting. Believable dialogue helps move the story forward as does the overall paragraph/chapter structure. Corinna Luyeken’s sweet illustration have an earnestness to them that adds emotion and light throughout. Cracking the Cover

You can see books by Caroline Crimi on her web site. Here are some other books illustrated by Corinna Luyken: