The Winter of the Robots

by Kurtis Scaletta

Seven feet of snow, four science-fair nerds, one creepy junkyard. Get ready for the ultimate robot battle.Jim is tired of being the sidekick to his scientific genius, robot-obsessed, best friend Oliver. So this winter, when it comes time to choose partners for the science fair, Jim dumps Oliver and teams up with a girl instead. Rocky has spotted wild otters down by the river, and her idea is to study them. But what they discover is bigger—and much more menacing—than fuzzy a hidden junkyard on abandoned Half Street. And as desolate as it may seem, there's something living in the junkyard. Something that won't be contained for long by the rusty fences and mounds of snow. Can Jim and Rocky—along with Oliver and his new science-fair partner—put aside their rivalry and unite their robot-building skills? Whatever is lurking on Half Street is about to meet its match.

Genres: Science Fiction, Middle Grade, Robots, Adventure, Friendship, Mystery, Contemporary

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Kurtis Scaletta is the author of several books for young readers including Mudville, which was short listed for the Mark Twain Readers Award, and The Tanglewood Terror, which was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award. He lives in Minneapolis with wife and son and some cats.

Reviews

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing I love about reading books by Kurtis Scaletta (who you should know is a friend of mine), is that they zap me back in time to when it seemed my only responsibility and the only thing I wanted to do was read the book in my hand. His books make me read while eating, read while “watching” TV, and read way late into the night so I can find out what happens.

Today his latest The Winter of the Robots is to blame for my advanced tiredness. I even knew what was going to happen and there I was at midnight vowing just one more page, one more page, one more page until I was done. It was worth it. Read more.

[Susan Niz]

Such a fun, original story, great sense of place, suspenseful, engaging characters, and... lots of ROBOTS--realistic and fictional. Awesome read for MG girls and boys!

[Kevin Pereyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a pretty intense book in terms of mystery. Loved it a lot. It was a little confusing in some parts but that did not affect the entertainment of the book too much. As a head ups this books definitively will be very shocking as the book is read further and further towards the end where lots of crazy surprises begin to pop up along the road that were not expected at all.

[Brad Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

i lost a book for a book project so I used this and it was this awesome book to read

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely had a enjoyable time reading this book, wasnt expecting a lot from it since it was a random library pick up but I had fun with it!

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

The science fair is coming up, and once again, Jim's best friend Oliver wants to build a robot. Jim is less than excited about getting stuck building the things for the robot to destroy, so when the girl next door invites him to join her project observing the lives of otters, Jim jumps on the chance. (It also doesn't hurt that Rochelle (Rocky) is kind of cute.) To do their otter observations, the two go into an old junkyard down by the Nomicon disaster remnants and set up cameras (which Jim borrowed without permission from his dad), and return home. Meanwhile, Oliver had to pair up with Dmitri, the rough Russian kid in class. The next day, the cameras have gone AWOL and so has Dmitri. Rocky and Jim have to scrap their project, but not before they start to notice that some weird things are going on in the old Nomicon site, and when Dmitri shows up again with a strange story of getting zotted by something in the Nomicon site, Jim's curiosity is really perked. But it isn't until several days later, after everyone has caught the robot building bug, including Jim's little sister Penny, that even further proof of something strange and sinister going on at the old Nomicon site drops in and the kids realize they need to do something about it. They realize that Nomicon's robots that were in development for defense projects have gone slighty haywire and instead of just defending their ground, they are actively hunting down any trespassers and electrocuting them. So the kids build a giant robot out of a car to duke it out with the bad robots and save the day.

I can see why several reviewers dubbed this light sci-fi, because with the rate technology is developing, the scenarios in this book are plausible to the point it is almost just realistic fiction. Now, that's as far as the technology goes. As far as some of the things the kids get into and supposedly pull off without anyone getting into serious trouble or hurt...that stretches belief and plunks this story back in sci-fi. I think this is the kind of story that kids eat up, but adults are more likely to roll their eyes at in places. I felt generous giving this three stars, and felt it only earned 2.5. At times I felt like I was reading a book inspired by too much time spent with rock 'em sock 'em robots and then marinated in the all too familiar "adults are idiots so kids must save the world" plot tones. Don't get me wrong, I can geek out with the best of them, and maybe that's my problem. It's quite possible it just was not sci-fi-y enough for me. I think I would have liked more back story to the Nomicon disaster and less of the trivial robotics competitions just so readers will have an idea of where the end battle components come from. Oh well, we'll see how the kids respond. As long as it finds some happy reading companions I guess it fills a void in the sci-fi niche and serves a purpose.

Notes on content: Just a couple mild swear words. No sexual content. There is one death by electrocution and two other shock-related injuries. Several robots are destroyed in brutal robot battles.

[Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Jim Knox is doing a robot project for the school science fair. But things get complicated when he and a few friends find huge, dinosaur-like robots lurking in the ruins of a labratory. What is the secret behind the lab, and why are the robots starting to hurt and kill people?

Ew.

Just writing that summary got me unwanted memories of this story.

I was looking for something to read, and just grabbed "The Winter of the Robots" of the shelf. It sounded like a toy franchise made for 7-year-old boys, but I read it anyways.

While the story began tolerable, I quickly found things unbearable. I don't know much about robots, but all the stuff that these kids make their robots do seem way to complex. It should be harder than just hooking up a few wires. I mean seriously; A flying robot, a robot that can pick up other robots? Two middle-schoolers can't make that up in a week. (Though, I admit the overall concept of the robots were cool).

The characters acted way out of age. They talked too maturely, and acted like...adults. They had boyfriends and girlfriends? These kids are in seventh grade! And they talked so seriously about it. I don't know what kids-of-today really do (I've been homeschooled most of my life, isolated from school-going kids), but I really hope they don't get that...how do I say this...chummy at an age that young.

I found the setting unlikeable. But I'm not going to blame the book for this, because I did read this in the middle of summer.

I admit, I skipped the last chapter. I was so done. Maybe there was a huge revelation that would've boosted my rating to 5 stars, but I doubt it.

Alternate rating: D+

[Summer · Rating 2 out of 5]

True to the Goodreads rating system, this was just okay for me. The actual plot that you read about on the inside cover doesn't begin until you are halfway through the book, and only a few events leading up to it even have much relevance in the long run. I feel like this title is two seperate books mashed together- the kids who build robots for the science fair-and then the kids who find out there are robots in the junkyard, and neither one does a very good job resolving their plotline. The characters didn't seem very believable to me; a lot of their actions didn't match up with what the author describes them as. I really liked them initially is the disappointing part for me. I do like that this book- while definitely geared towards boys' adventure- addresses middle school crushes but not overtly so. It still exists in there.

I guess I went into it with really high hopes and it let me down.

[Marathon County Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s science fair time but Jim’s best friend Oliver always wants to build robots so he chooses a girl partner named Rocky. He “borrows” cameras from his father’s security business and places them in a hidden junkyard in an attempt to study otters for their project. They don’t find any otters, but discover strange noises and movement coming from this allegedly deserted scientific corporation. What they uncover unites these friends as they use their combined wits to build a gigantic, war-ready, dinosaur-like robot in attempt to defeat the forces of evil. The Winter of the Robots is a wonderful adventure that will keep tweens and other readers turning pages until the end.

Sharyn H. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

[Carolina Colleene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Language – PG (1 swear, 0 “f”), Sexual Content – G; Violence – PG
Being Oliver’s “Igor” isn’t enough for Jim anymore, so Jim switches partners for the opportunity to do something useful in this year’s science fair project. The action Jim is so excited to be a part of ends up including the building of more than one robot for the fair, though. Jim escalates from a little science fair project to entering a robot competition to saving the neighborhood. Who knew Jim could do more than just arts and crafts?
As Jim and his friends’ goals intensified, the story became more fun to read. There was a lot of information about the actual building of the robots, but Scaletta didn’t get so detailed as to lose my attention or confuse me (a non-computer whiz). The resolution was nice, but the scene before that started should have been more awesome than it was and made the pinnacle of Jim’s story feel very anti-climactic.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Karen Gedeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jims often feels like a second wheel as every year his best friend Oliver controls their science project. Oliver chooses the project (always a robot) then designs, builds and codes it himself. This year Jim has had enough and chooses a new partner. Seventh graders Jim, Oliver, Dmitri and Rochelle (aka Rocky) start out as two rival science teams, but soon end up together trying to solve the town’s biggest secret in an abandoned junkyard. With the help of some family and friends the kids must deal with family issues and the strain of friendships while they design and build a robot like no other they have built before. Several story lines are occurring throughout the book which Scaletta wraps up by the end, some better than others. This will appeal to kids in grades 5-7 especially those who enjoy reading about computers, robots or mysteries

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim knows, far in advance, that his science project will be building a robot with his best friend--or, more accurately, watching his best friend build their robot. So when an opportunity for a different project presents itself (monitoring otters with the girl next door), he jumps at the chance. But the otters become the least of his worries when they discover the robots that are already in that junkyard...

Scaletta again delivers a perfectly-tuned account of pre-teen (or early-teen) angst and drama, coupled with an engrossing plot that feels so realistic even when it's ... not. Another one I'll be passing to every middle-school boy I encounter (and several of the girls too).

[Shannon O'Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most original MG story I have read in a long time. I loved it. The main characters are varied in their personalities, yet united in their friendship. I fell in love with each of them. And then there is the kicker . . . robots! Any kid out there who is even a little bit interested in robots MUST read this book. I was riveted by the detail and cool things Scaletta had them doing. Add to that some dinobots, cool cars, and a dash of young love, and you have the recipe for an ideal middle grade read. This one should easily be a hit with both boys and girls. I HIGHLY recommend it.

[Becky Loader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am now a big fan of Kurtis Scaletta!

I love the kids who populate the story: smart, flexible, a little goofy, lovable, mistake-making, and good-hearted. Mix in real-life parents, robots, a deserted junkyard,robots, a scary man who makes astute observations, robots, great adults who treat kids like people,robots,a mysterious burnt-out factory, robots, smart kids, robots, supportive siblings, robots, otters, robots, Minneapolis setting, and (did I mention?) robots and this is a sterling read.

My nephew Max will love it!

[Brandy Painter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed all of the characters and the story in this book. The kids were a great team, all super smart but also pretty normal kids. Pretty normal kids up against giant dinosaur robots who have started thinking for themselves. Giant. Dinosaur. Robots. That's the books selling point right there. It also is an all around fun book about friendship, looking beyond the surface to see who people really are, and with surprising twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

[Cornmaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty cool book about middle school kids building robots and then having to battle some mysterious real-life robots that are threatening the town.

I was expecting one of the characters to be a little more sinister, but that didn't happen. Scaletta did a nice job in educating kids how robots work, and the potential for artificial intelligence in future robots.

Moves a little slower than I would like for boys, but still all in all a fun story.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story of this book.
It was nice to see the characters figure out their surroundings, work as a team despite their differences, resolve conflicts, and learn to program robots (albeit in a somewhat unrealistic fashion).
I would have liked a few more twists (though the one at the very end was a nice touch), I realize it is a children's book and so isn't meant for full on adult mentality.

[Phoebe · Rating 2 out of 5]

While many kids will find this wintry adventure story featuring robotic dinosaurs bent on guarding their junkyard territory an exciting page-turner, I felt the author was neglectful of some details (how do middle school kids know how to build the kind of complex robots that are described in the competition scenes, and how appropriate is it to ask 8 to 12-year-olds to develop battle bots that tear each other apart, ala Big Hero 6?). A bit laborious to get through for me. 5th grade and up.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robot Rumbles get serious in Minneapolis. I really liked this and would have given it 4 1/2 starts if I could. My only hesitation is that the plot wanders a bit but all the loose ends get nicely tied up in the end. Jim, the narrator, is a very engaging character and I was rooting for him all the way.

This will make an awesome booktalk and is SURE to delight middle schoolers.

[emyrose8 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5- It takes place in Minnesota- automatic win! I loved the concept of the book (building robots) and the teamwork (getting everyone involved)/friendly rivalry the characters do. The ending was wrapped up a little too quick and neat; it seemed like the problem resolution should've been more difficult.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was 3 1/2 stars for me. It was a book my son chose and we read together. It was not my style at all, but it was well written, exciting for boys his age, and had some creative parts to the story. If you love fixing up cars, creating and battling robots, and winter weather, this is the book for you! I think it also helps if you are around the age of 10. :)

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Combo sci fi and mystery in this fun MG book. Boys will love the cover and robot action. There is a slow build up to the hinted at action in the junk yard, the last third is non stop robot action. Don't miss the kan ock jokes!

[Jensenj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat science fiction meets magic realism, this is a story with deep and engaging characters. While some questions are unanswered and the pace is a bit slower, readers will enjoy action in the satisfying ending.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Minneapolis-based story about kids who start building robots and discover a secret in an abandoned building. It's set up as this great robot-battle, but there's not nearly enough battling robots for my taste. My kids really liked it, but I got bored early on.

[Brenda Kahn]

Reviewing for SLJ

[Daniel O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jan13 read 90min

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm mid book. On page 74 and it's a pretty funny and interesting book. I' think it's about to heat up so I can't say much right now.