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Weird Little Robots Paperback – April 13, 2021

by Carolyn Crimi (Author), Corinna Luyken (Illustrator)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 64 ratings
See all formats and editions
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When two science-savvy girls create an entire robot world, they don’t expect the robots to come alive. But life may be a bit more magical than they thought.

Eleven-year-old Penny Rose has just moved to a new town, and so far the robots she builds herself are her only company. But with just a bit of magic, everything changes: she becomes best friends with Lark, has the chance to join a secret science club, and discovers that her robots are alive. Penny Rose hardly remembers how lonely she used to feel. But then a fateful misstep forces her to choose between the best friend she’s always hoped for and the club she’s always dreamed of, and in the end it may be her beloved little robots that pay the price. Quirky and wonderful, this illustrated chapter book from Carolyn Crimi and Corinna Luyken shows that making your own space and a true friend in the world is a kind of magic all its own.
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    8 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    240 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    3 - 7
  5. Lexile measure
    600L
  6. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.62 x 7.75 inches
  7. Publisher
    Candlewick
  8. Publication date
    April 13, 2021
  9. ISBN-10
    153621471X
  10. ISBN-13
    978-1536214710
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

[A]uthor Crimi infuses this unassuming transitional novel with compassion, humor, and a refreshing storyline in which girls organically weave a love for science into their everyday lives. Illustrations by Luyken add to the guileless sensibility. A contemplation on the magic of friendship told with sweetness, simplicity, and science.
—Kirkus Reviews

This quirkily inventive middle grade debut by Crimi (I Am the Boss of This Chair) introduces Penny Rose, a shy 11-year-old who has made no friends in her new town...In affecting illustrations, Luyken (The Book of Mistakes) successfully captures the heroines’ likable sincerity, ingenuity, and mutual affection, as well as the robots’ spunky personalities.
—Publishers Weekly

The author of many picture books, Crimi offers a heartfelt first novel that combines real-world problems faced by many children with magical elements. Clear, concise, and direct, the writing includes dialogue that shows the characters’ personalities while moving the story along. Each chapter includes at least one full-page illustration. Created in ink, pencil, and gouache, they portray human, robot, and animal characters expressively. An endearing chapter book.
—Booklist

The friendship theme and connections to technology, persistence, and problem-solving will appeal to a variety of students...This would be a solid addition to an elementary library that wants to add books about STEAM or friendship.
—School Library Journal

About the Author

Carolyn Crimi is the author of several books for children, including Where’s My Mummy?, Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, Henry and the Crazed Chicken Pirates, and There Might Be Lobsters. Weird Little Robots is her first novel. She lives in Illinois.

Corinna Luyken is the author-illustrator of The Book of Mistakes. She lives with her husband and daughter in Olympia, Washington.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick; Reprint edition (April 13, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 153621471X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1536214710
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 600L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.62 x 7.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 64 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Corinna Luyken

    Corinna Luyken

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    Corinna Luyken is the author-illustrator of ABC AND YOU AND ME (June 2023); THE TREE IN ME (an NCTE Notable Poetry Book and Indie Bestseller); MY HEART (A New York Times Best Seller); and THE BOOK OF MISTAKES (which The Wall Street Journal called “sublime”). She is also the illustrator of IN THE DARK (Aug 2023) and NOTHING IN COMMON, both written by Kate Hoefler; PATCHWORK (A New York Times and Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2022), written by Matt de la Peña; SOMETHING GOOD and ADRIAN SIMCOX DOES NOT HAVE A HORSE, both written by Marcy Campbell; and WEIRD LITTLE ROBOTS, written by Carolyn Crimi.

    Corinna Luyken’s work is rooted in improvisation and explores themes of connection, perception, and misperception. She is interested in stories that reframe and question our assumptions, and the role of art (and books) in changing how we see and understand the world around us. She was raised in Oregon, California, and Hawaii; and studied dance improvisation, poetry, and printmaking at Middlebury College in Vermont. She now lives in Western Washington, near the Salish Sea, where she also likes to dig in the dirt, surf, and read with a cat (or two) on her lap. You can see more of her work at www.corinnaluyken.com

    See more on the author's page
  2. Carolyn Crimi

    Carolyn Crimi

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    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
64 global ratings
Captivating story
4 Stars
Captivating story
Thank you @kidlitexchange and @candlewickpress for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.This was a wonderful middle grade story. I really enjoyed all of the characters, especially the girls who love different forms of science. Penny Rose enjoys making robots out of discarded treasures she randomly stumbles upon. She’s new to town and hasn’t made any friends yet, until she observes the peculiar girl across the street. Lark is fascinated with Ornithology, the study of birds. She keeps journals about them, builds magnificent houses and even has crows who drop off lost objects as a sign of their gratitude.Penny Rose and Lark hit it off pretty quickly and enjoy working on building a town for the robots together. They are startled to find that one day the robots have come alive and can interact with the girls. They agree to keep them safe and never show anyone, but then an unexpected invitation arrives in Penny Rose’s locker. She has been invited to join the Secret Science Society. The problem is Lark didn’t get asked and the members are requesting to see the unique robots to gain entry. Penny Rose finds out the hard way that friendships and promises are meant to be cherished.Goodness, as a shy, science kid myself, I would have loved this book in elementary school. Not only was the story captivating and full of great lessons, but I also enjoyed the added mysteries surrounding the robots and the members of the club. Young readers will love Chimney, the pet squirrel too!! Loved the bit of girl power at the end.The chapters were short and quick to read. I adored the lovely illustrations by @corinnaluyken that helped bring the adventure to life!!
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Top reviews from the United States

STEFANIE
5.0 out of 5 stars If your child likes Junior B Jones, They’ll love this!
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
My daughter LOVED this book. She used to be obsessed with the Junie B Jones series and seemed to get the same thrill from this book. Depending on your child’s reading level, I’d guess this would be a solid chapter book for 3-5 grade readers.
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loves to read
5.0 out of 5 stars a great book for little tinkerers
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2020
Verified Purchase
I bought this for my 8 year old daughter and she absolutely loved it !! After a night of reading under the covers after bed time, she simply couldn't stop talking about it !! Illustrations are beautiful and the book quality is very high. If you liked this one, be sure to check out LITTLE ENGINEERS too - it's a bit more grounded bu also features some imaginative scenes of engineering brainstorming...
One person found this helpful
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Kimberly O’Rosky
4.0 out of 5 stars Captivating story
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2020
Thank you @kidlitexchange and @candlewickpress for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a wonderful middle grade story. I really enjoyed all of the characters, especially the girls who love different forms of science. Penny Rose enjoys making robots out of discarded treasures she randomly stumbles upon. She’s new to town and hasn’t made any friends yet, until she observes the peculiar girl across the street. Lark is fascinated with Ornithology, the study of birds. She keeps journals about them, builds magnificent houses and even has crows who drop off lost objects as a sign of their gratitude.

Penny Rose and Lark hit it off pretty quickly and enjoy working on building a town for the robots together. They are startled to find that one day the robots have come alive and can interact with the girls. They agree to keep them safe and never show anyone, but then an unexpected invitation arrives in Penny Rose’s locker. She has been invited to join the Secret Science Society. The problem is Lark didn’t get asked and the members are requesting to see the unique robots to gain entry. Penny Rose finds out the hard way that friendships and promises are meant to be cherished.

Goodness, as a shy, science kid myself, I would have loved this book in elementary school. Not only was the story captivating and full of great lessons, but I also enjoyed the added mysteries surrounding the robots and the members of the club. Young readers will love Chimney, the pet squirrel too!! Loved the bit of girl power at the end.

The chapters were short and quick to read. I adored the lovely illustrations by @corinnaluyken that helped bring the adventure to life!!
Customer image
Kimberly O’Rosky
4.0 out of 5 stars Captivating story
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2020
Thank you @kidlitexchange and @candlewickpress for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a wonderful middle grade story. I really enjoyed all of the characters, especially the girls who love different forms of science. Penny Rose enjoys making robots out of discarded treasures she randomly stumbles upon. She’s new to town and hasn’t made any friends yet, until she observes the peculiar girl across the street. Lark is fascinated with Ornithology, the study of birds. She keeps journals about them, builds magnificent houses and even has crows who drop off lost objects as a sign of their gratitude.

Penny Rose and Lark hit it off pretty quickly and enjoy working on building a town for the robots together. They are startled to find that one day the robots have come alive and can interact with the girls. They agree to keep them safe and never show anyone, but then an unexpected invitation arrives in Penny Rose’s locker. She has been invited to join the Secret Science Society. The problem is Lark didn’t get asked and the members are requesting to see the unique robots to gain entry. Penny Rose finds out the hard way that friendships and promises are meant to be cherished.

Goodness, as a shy, science kid myself, I would have loved this book in elementary school. Not only was the story captivating and full of great lessons, but I also enjoyed the added mysteries surrounding the robots and the members of the club. Young readers will love Chimney, the pet squirrel too!! Loved the bit of girl power at the end.

The chapters were short and quick to read. I adored the lovely illustrations by @corinnaluyken that helped bring the adventure to life!!
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2 people found this helpful
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J. Schroeder
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Middle Grade Story
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2023
I loved this story with its cute, quirky characters and a little bit of magic. The two little fifth-grade scientists are charming, Penny Rose who builds robots with salvaged parts, and Lark who builds birdhouses that also use salvaged parts. When they find each other and finally have the friendship they each longed for, it isn't long before complications arise in the form of an opportunity for Penny to join the Secret Science Club. The choices she makes almost destroy her friendship and her robots forever, but in the end, friendship saves the day. I had originally checked this book out at my local library but liked it so much that I bought a copy to give as a birthday gift for a 9-year-old.
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April Zabinsky
5.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile book you're sure to read more than once!
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2020
FYI...BTW...LOL (this will make sense when you read the book!) Weird Little Robots is an incredible book that has charmed our entire family! The story of a creative and inventive girl, Penny Rose, Weird Little Robots checks all of the boxes we look for in a good book - funny, relatable, engaging and endearing. The magic of Penny Rose’s robots coming to life is well-balanced with real-world issues like anxiety, bullying and being the new kid in town. My daughter and I initially read it together as a bedtime book some months ago, and she hasn’t been able to stop talking about it since. It even inspired her to start her own collection of homemade robots, something that proved to be a very worthwhile project during the pandemic lockdown. Words and phrases from the book have found their way into our family vocabulary, and it’s one of those books we will be reading again and again. I would highly recommend Weird Little Robots to anyone who loves a truly good story that is sure to stay with you for some time to come.
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Jessica at Cracking the Cover
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2019
Weird Little Robots is anything but weird — it’s delightful. The fact that the robots come to life makes perfect sense in Penny Rose’s world. Why wouldn’t they. This magical element helps highlight and balance the real-world problems kids deal with every day.

Carolyn Crimi’s prose is crisp and inviting. Believable dialogue helps move the story forward as does the overall paragraph/chapter structure. Corinna Luyeken’s sweet illustration have an earnestness to them that adds emotion and light throughout.

The suggested age range is 8-12, but I can see 7-year-olds enjoying Weird Little Ones as a read-aloud.

*My review is based on an advanced reader copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
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michelle g.
4.0 out of 5 stars Charming tale of STEAM and social anxiety
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2019
Thank you to Candlewick Press and Blue Slip Media for providing me a digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a charming story of two young girls who don't quite fit in with everyone else, but fit together perfectly. Penny is a shy scientist, who builds robots in the shed in her backyard and allows them to be her friends. She wants friends, she just isn't sure how to actually go about making them. Lark is a neighbor who has her own obsession with building amazing bird houses. When the two become friends, the robots come to life as if to agree with their relationship. Penny is confused when she gets an invitation to a secret science society, but is not allowed to tell Lark. She wants to fit in, but loses Lark in the process.

This is a really interesting take on magical realism and allowing younger readers to get a glimpse of someone dealing with social anxiety. Both Penny and Lark have social anxiety, but deal with it in different ways. Together, they are comfortable with themselves and allowed to be true to their inner natures, but when they fight, they realize that an important part of them is missing. There is also a touch of bullying thrown in when the "secret science club" acts like a bunch of mean girls, and one boy, forcing Penny to do things that she isn't comfortable with in order to fit in. This was an oddly charming book.
One person found this helpful
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