Runaway Robot

By Author / Illustrator

Frank Cottrell Boyce, Steven Lenton

Genre

Friendship

Age range(s)

Publisher

Pan Macmillan

ISBN

9781509851775

Format

Hardback

Published

02-05-2019

Synopsis

Runaway Robot is a funny and heartwarming adventure about two best friends helping put themselves back together, from the award-winning Frank Cottrell-Boyce, illustrated by Steven Lenton.

When Alfie goes to Airport Lost Property, he finds more than he bargained for. A lot more. Because there's a giant robot called Eric hidden away on the shelves. Eric has lost one leg and half his memory. He's super strong, but super clumsy. He's convinced that he's the latest technology, when he's actually nearly one hundred year's old and ready for the scrap heap. Can Alfie find a way to save Eric from destruction - before Eric destroys everything around him?

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Reviews

Inspired by a real mighty robot called Eric, this story, set in a future with driverless buses and robotic cleaning devices, is a comic adventure with real heart.

Alfie has lost his hand in an accident and rather than spend time at the Limb Lab learning to use his new robotic hand, he swerves school and ends up at the airport. Here he finds Eric, missing one leg, and their adventure together begins.

It is illegal to have humanoid robots so Alfie has to hide this huge robot. To make things worse, Eric interprets things completely literally which leads to humorous misunderstandings and further trouble.

As you might expect from this author there is a depth of feeling beneath the humour. Alfie gradually remembers, and comes to terms with, how he lost his hand. We find out about Eric's past and see into his future. Shatila, to begin with one of Alfie's fiercest enemies, turns out to have a painful history of her own.

This is a story that will have wide appeal- warmly recommended.

288 pages / Reviewed by Heather Bignold, school librarian