A Boy and His Bot

Gr 4—6—Code Lightfall's philosophy on life has always been to do nothing whenever any decision is required. That's always the safest bet. While on a class trip to Mek Mound, Code finds himself alone in an entirely different world that is populated by robots. He learns that Mekhos is in trouble; an evil robot has taken control of the king, Code's grandfather, who disappeared the previous summer. Immortalis has started the great disassembly, causing everything in Mekhos to be taken apart. Unless the sixth grader can do something, he will be stuck in Mekhos and his grandfather will be killed—and he only has four days to do it. He creates a robot sidekick that helps him get around and adds an element of humor. Wilson has created a whole new world with its own set of rules and history. Code, a boy who feels apart from everyone, feels far more comfortable interacting with robots whose behavior is more predictable than that of humans. The lessons he learns during his adventure teach him how to come out of his comfort zone and face any situation with confidence.—Erik Carlson, White Plains Public Library, NY