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The Wild RobotPeter Brown
The Wild Robot
by Peter Brown
A robot washes ashore on a wild island, switches herself on, and has to learn from the animals how to survive a winter nobody built her for.
A story about magical creatures and animals, gentle and thoughtful in tone. We would put it with children of 8–11, and at a reading age of about 9 for reading alone.
Worth knowing before you buy
- Mild peril
- An animal dies
None of this makes it a bad book — often the opposite. It is here so you can decide whether it is right for your child now or in a year or two.
Our take on this book
A robot named Roz wakes alone on a wild island, the sole survivor of a shipwreck, and must learn to survive among animals who fear her — slowly, by watching and adapting and by accidentally becoming mother to an orphaned gosling, she finds a place and a family in the wilderness. Peter Brown's beautifully illustrated novel is a modern classic: told in short, spare chapters, it is a gentle, thoughtful, surprisingly moving story about nature, belonging, motherhood and what it means to be alive. There is some peril and a note of real sadness, but the tone is calm and tender throughout. For a nine- to twelve-year-old — and a fine read-aloud for younger children — it is a lovely, absorbing book, equally appealing to children who love animals and those drawn to robots, and its quiet wisdom about kindness and adaptation has made it a firm favourite. The many illustrations make a substantial story feel wonderfully approachable.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
Charlotte's WebE. B. White
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMHRobert C. O'Brien
PaxSara Pennypacker
SkelligDavid Almond
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
Find another book
Tell us the age, the reading age and what they like, and we will suggest a handful.