Synopsis
Robots are running amok in Northwest Southeast Central school! It all started as a harmless science experiment meant to prove whether or not the new girl in school was in fact a robot. But now a robot of a different kind is chewing up the hallways and causing panic not seen in this area since Schooling Around #3!
What are the students at Northwest Southeast Central going to do? RUN!
And what are readers going to do? LAUGH!
Children's Literature
This is a delightful book! Narrated by fifth-grader Henry McThrottle, the book takes us into one of the strangest schools in a nameless city. Principal Greenbeard dresses as if he were the captain of a ship and treats students and teachers as if they were the crew. Mr. Brainfright, the fifth grade teacher, wears "a purple jacket, orange shirt, green tie, and crazy hair." In the opening scene, the entire fifth-grade class is picking up trash from the schoolyard. A new girl, Roberta, has come to the class, and we begin to see the school through her eyes—the school as a ship, the principle as a captain, the teacher as a nutcase—how on earth will she fit in? The other students, including Henry, try to be friendly, but it is difficult when Roberta claims never to have written a story of any kind, but also claims to have read and memorized the entire school handbook. When Henry finds and reads Roberta's notebook in which she claims to be an advanced robot on a secret assignment to learn how to take over the world for robots, he takes it seriously. The charm of the book lies partly in how the author convinces even the adult reader of the reasonableness of Henry's belief, and his ability to convince the other students that he is right, but how are a bunch of kids going to prove it? It will take the class "genius" to create a robot that will challenge Roberta. Suspend your disbelief, because this is one fun and recommended read! Reviewer: Judy Silverman