The Trouble with Robots
by Michelle Mohrweis (Author)
Evelyn strives for excellence. Allie couldn't care less. These polar opposites must work together if they have any hope of saving their school's robotics program.
Eighth-graders Evelyn and Allie are in trouble. Evelyn's constant need for perfection has blown some fuses among her robotics teammates, and she's worried nobody's taking the upcoming competition seriously. Allie is new to school, and she's had a history of short-circuiting on teachers and other kids. So when Allie is assigned to the robotics team as a last resort, all Evelyn can see is just another wrench in the works!
But as Allie confronts a past stricken with grief and learns to open up, the gears click into place as she discovers that Evelyn's teammates have a lot to offer--if only Evelyn allowed them to participate in a role that plays to their strengths. Can Evelyn learn to let go and listen to what Allie has to say? Or will their spot in the competition go up in smoke along with their school's robotics program and Allie's only chance at redemption?
An excellent pick for STEAM enthusiasts, this earnestly told narrative features a dual point of view and casually explores Autistic and LGBTQ+ identities.
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Publishers Weekly
Told in alternating points of view, Mohrweis's emotionally charged debut follows two white eighth graders learning to collaborate around a robotics tournament. After "everything that happened," often furious Allie Wells is kicked out of elective after elective for lashing out. But she receives one last chance before being transferred to a school for "trouble kids": though she's not great with math or science, art-loving Allie is placed in a sparsely attended robotics class. Robotics is deeply important to Evelyn Cole, but in the wake of her best friend moving away and one of her moms losing her job, Evelyn, who is autistic, is seen as micromanaging her robotics crew, which cost the team a recent competition. After tension between the girls turns into an altercation, they slowly bond before learning to work with others--with the future of the school's robotics elective on the line. Detailed descriptions of the duo's specialties juxtaposes STEAM elements--art versus robotics, the abstract versus the technical--in a teamwork-oriented plot that delves into self-discovery. Secondary characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 8-12. Agent: Emily Forney, BookEnds Literary. (Sept.)
Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV060000 - Juvenile Fiction | LGBT
JUV056000 - Juvenile Fiction | Robots
JUV077000 - Juvenile Fiction | Neurodiversity
Middle school students
Perfectionism (Personality trait)
Group work in education
