Lots of Bots

Robots Rule! #2

by C.J. Richards, Gorō Fujita (Illustrations)

In the second installment in the Robots Rule series, George is thrilled to score his dream job at Tinker Tech Industries. But he and his best pal Jackbot soon realize that something does not compute. Gizmos and gadgets combine with mystery-by-the-megabyte in this rollicking robot adventure for readers ages 9 to 12.

Genres: Childrens, Science Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 5, 2015

Reviews

[Donald Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing wrong with reading "kid-lit" - books for young readers - as an adult, especially if said book brings back memories of the kind of adventure stories you loved as a kid. And though I haven't yet read the first in the Robots Rule series, there is a lot to like about Lots of Bots as it picks up right after the events of the first novel. George Gearing is a young genius set to fulfill his dream of being an apprentice at Tinker Tech, where he hopes to learn and change the face of robotics. For in Terabyte Heights, George's hometown, we're in a world where robots act as companions, drive cars, cook meals - in short, make the lives of humans easier and safer. The destruction of this idyllic lifestyle seems to have been narrowly avoided in book one by the sinister Dr. Micron, thanks to George and his friends (including Jackbot, his best friend and robot companion), though it's not giving too much away here to say that hints are dropped, early on, that Micron - who had previously escaped capture - may still be lurking around somewhere in book two, ready with an even bigger plot that may include revenge on George. Lots of Bots is just plain fun; well-written by C.J. Richards and beautifully illustrated (the artwork reminded me of afternoons watching "Prince Planet" and "Speed Racer" as a kid) by Goro Fujita, with a likable hero in George, who slowly realizes that someone is out to destroy his apprenticeship - or maybe even him - but fights to solve that mystery, even while dealing with a bigger one left behind by his deceased parents. A great read for, say, grades levels 4-7 ... but really a lighthearted, fun adventure for all ages. **** (Note: while the book is a stand-alone, it references enough of what happened in book one, The Junkyard Bot - spoiler-wise - that it would be best to read that one first.)

Note: I received a free ARC of this book via NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

[majere · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the end they destroy Micron

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a new launch for Tinkertech in book 2 of the Robots Rule series. This time, the villain designed a new launch and he put mind controlling chips in the earbuds that people wear. George who is an apprentice at Tinker Tech, gets one of the earbuds but saves himself by banging his head on the wall, but no one believes him that the villain is coming for them. This book is for anyone who likes robotics... I wish we had a donut bot! LOL!

[Gus Krohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the old enemy is defeated, he comes back to undermine our hero's dream. ~Gus K., age 10

[Yuhang Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Solid, Standalone Sequel, With a Decent Plot

This is Book Two in the "Robots Rule!" series. The whole "robots" thing is a little misleading because while our hero's buddy is his homemade robot pal Jackbot this book owes more to good old action/adventure than any tech wizardry. There's plenty of the latter, but it's not the point. Rather we have a basic, well worn, but perfectly well executed "mad scientist threatens the town and orphan George and his sidekicks have to save it because the adults are clueless" story, and I don't mean that at all as dismissive. When done right, as this is, that's a ripping storyline for an early reader.

It helps a lot that our hero George is a smart, solid, decent kid with good instincts and no cutesy quirks. He's an orphan, but you suspect as the series develops he'll end up finding those missing folks. (SPOILER: Maybe there will even be clues about that in this book.) Sidekick Anne is resourceful and loaded with common sense. She's loyal, covers George's back, and gets to do more in this volume. The two like each other and work well together, so you get a team vibe instead of conflict or misunderstanding.

The cute sidekick, Jackbot the robot, doesn't dominate the story and isn't aggravating like a Jar Jar Binks kind of sidekick. His "love" for another robot goes up to the edge, but it's played for laughs and tones down as the story picks up steam. So I just say good-on-ya to the author for trying to mix things up a bit with some robot-love humor.

This is a Book Two, but you can start with it. In the first chapter or two the reader is brought up to speed on what happened in Book One, and this builds pretty clearly and crisply from there.

A lot of reviews emphasize the tech background here, which is correct but may be misleading. It takes place at a tech company, there's a robot, George is a computer genius, the villain uses tech to do his dirty work, and there are lots of computer and programming puns. But that's all framework and window dressing. You don't have to be computer savvy or a techie to get most of the jokes or to follow the plot or to get into the action. The tech angle is a treat, or maybe an enticement, but it seems to me that it would be a mistake to dismiss this series as just appealing to robot/computer kids.

For what it's worth, the way this book has been written has a general air of zippy good humor to it. I never felt that this book was "calculated". By that I mean that it didn't have that "constructed by a marketing committee" feel. There was a sort of cheerfully knuckleheaded element to the project that appealed to me. The characters felt as real as you could hope for in an adventure of this sort aimed at younger readers, but it never felt forced. The quality of the writing was quite high, and the book felt well thought out and well constructed. A nice find.

Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really need to read the first of this series, but the second one was so fun. In this second book, George Gearing is excited to start his student apprenticeship at TinkerTech and possibly help with the rollout of the new MOD, "a wireless eye and earpiece combo that allows the wearer to access data just by thinking of it." But things go downhill fast when he arrives for his first day on the job. He bumps into the head of TinkerTech and makes him drop his wireless tablet almost as soon as he steps into the building. His least favorite girl, Patricia Volt, has also been chosen for an apprenticeship (mostly because her father is an executive of the company). And it doesn't get any better as the day goes on. Why won't anyone listen to him when he explains that there is something sinister going on and the new MODs may be dangerous? George may just have to fix things himself, with a little help from his faithful Jackbot and his friend Anne.

One of the things that makes this story so funny is the way everyone seems to have a tech related name: George Gearing, Patricia Volt, Anne Droid, Principal Qwerty, Nurse Linux, Dr. Micron, Otto Fender... Another thing that is appealing is the wonderful relationship between George and his robot companion, Jackbot. Jackbot finds a way past the guard robot so that he can stay with George while he's at TinkerTech; he writes love poetry to Patricia's grooming-bot, Cookie; he is one cool little droid. And George is one seriously smart and determined kid. I can't wait to read the rest of the series - and young readers who enjoy gadgets and sci-fi will love it.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richards, C.J. Lots of Bots (Robots Rule #2) 195 pgs. Houghton Mifflin, 2015. $13.99 Content: Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G Violence: G

Thanks to all his efforts in the first book, George, a boy genius with robots, has landed an internship at the Tinkertech. But things go wrong right from the start, including his posting the janitor bot. The mystery surrounding his parents deepen and working at Tinkertech affords him opportunities to look into it. His best friend, the robot Jackbot, is being less than helpful, as he has fallen in love. When Tinkertech newest invention turns out to be fairly sinister, George tries to save the town.
I love these books! They are so well written and interesting, I feel terrible they were in the bottom of my review pile, because I think students will love these. The characters are well rounded and seem so real. The illustrations are awesome! The tiny mysteries are intriguing and keep the readers interest. I would absolutely buy this series for my school library! I think 4th grade and up will be best able to enjoy it, some fairly high level vocabulary and plot. Optionally, it could work really well for advanced younger readers, because it is a quite wholesome read.

EL – ESSENTIAL Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author.
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...

[Cuppa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Lots of Bots, the second book in the Robots Rule series by C. J. Richards, our hero George Gearing has earned an internship at Tinker Tech, the huge technology company where his arch enemy Chip Micron worked and also where his late parents worked. He's hoping to find out more about his parents' work and how they died but things aren't going smoothly. Tension is high because Tinker Tech is about to roll out their latest product - The Mod, a combination of ear piece and special contacts lenses that allow a person to be connected to the internet all the time. Strange accidents occur that leave George with egg on his face and no one believes he is not responsible for the chaos. Soon George finds himself demoted to assistant for the Occupational Cleaning Droid (OCD). But George knows there is more going on and that Chip Micron just might be behind it. His friend Anne and his loyal robot Jackbot stand beside him as George attempts to solve this mystery.

This is a fun middle grade novel with plenty of action and humor. The fast pace and short chapters as well as the imaginative use of robots and technology may make this book appealing to reluctant readers. I would also recommend it for readers who like science fiction or are interested in robots and tech gadgets.

[Brittanny Handiboe · Rating 3 out of 5]

After thwarting the malevolent Dr. Micron, middle schooler George Gearing finally has a chance to work with the most brilliant minds and updated technology at TinkerTech Headquarters. It doesn’t take long for George to realize someone doesn’t want him there, but can he convince everyone that Dr. Micron may be building a new evil plan? With the help of his friends, Jackbot and Anne Droid, George searches for a way to stop whatever Dr. Micron is scemeing only to uncover the truth about his parents’ death. With another mystery unsolved, Richards clearly knows how to end a book with the reader wanting more even within a typical plot setting and too familiar characters. Fujita’s charming illustrations throughout this middle grade invites the readers back into a robotic world of the “Robots Rule!” series with this second book. Each book is better read in order. If readers like the “Frank Einstein” series by Jon Scieszka, these books are similar in characters and themes. Recommended for ages 9 to 12 who love robots, science and technology.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of Bots.............brilliant book of an adventure of a boy named George and his best friends Ann and Jackbot (robot George made). We follow George as he starts an apprenticeship with Tinker Tech headquarters.

George encounters strange and sinister things at Tinker Tech and believes it is the work of the evil Dr Micron. George enlists the help of friends Ann and Jackbot to uncover the secrets held in Tinker Tech and the mystery surrounding his parents.

I really enjoyed this adventure and although it is book 2 of the Robot Rule series it can be read as a stand alone. It was written so well and included a cute love interest with Jackbot who was so sweet and funny, we even got a couple of Shakespeare quotations. Uncle Otto was quite the character with his dislike of technology (robots being the biggest dislike). George was such a determined boy who fought for what he believed.

I will be purchasing a physical copy and will probably buy book 1 and book 3 to read with my grandsons.

Thank you netgalley for the ebook it was superb.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

George Gearing is back in this second installment of the “Robots Rule!” series. He has an apprenticeship at TinkerTech Headquarters where he can work in the innovative robotics studio. The company is about to unveil its Multifunctional Ocular Device (MOD), a radical application that allows people to retrieve information with their minds. George discovers that Dr. Micron is hatching yet another plan for world domination using the MOD. As George and his friends seek a way to prevent Dr. Micron from achieving his goal, George also discovers the truth about “Project Mercury” and his parents’ “death”. With the potential of another title to follow, this formulaic mystery series will no doubt attract fans of the first book. The simple illustrations and familiar characters will appeal to middle-grade readers, especially those interested in robots and robotics. Those looking for STEM enrichment titles will find this one worthwhile.

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book of the Robots Rule series finds George excited to be a new apprentice for Tinker Tech Headquarters, but he soon finds out the job is not exactly what he thought it would be. Tinker Tech is unveiling its new MOD technology in three days, but is the project truly revolutionary like it is purported to be or just another vehicle for the evil Dr. Micron to strike. Meanwhile; George is also discovering some important information about his parents and must find out how they are connected to Dr. Micron’s plans.

This middle grade title will appeal to readers who like adventure novels. Although this is the second book, enough backstory is covered for those who haven’t read it to easily catch up and get involved with the story.

I would recommend this book for purchase to any school or public library.
This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.

[BreAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

My eight year old son picked this out at the library for me to read and I think he would enjoy it. Although the plot is fantastic, there are so many literary inconsistencies that it drove me nuts! For example, not once is the age of the main character mentioned, which would have given great perspective into his thoughts and actions. I give it three stars because I really did like the story line, the whole concept of the book despite its mediocre writing. A good pick for kids who want a fun, techie, quick-read.

[Braulio Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book because you never expect what will happen next. If i had to rate this book between a 1-10 i would give it a 10 because of all the suspense that happens. I will highly recommend this book because it is funny and has action and that is what a book needs action. I think the theme of the book it to never give up because the main person in the book never gives up. I am looking forward for the book 3 to she how he make his life more exciting for him.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a first reads giveaway on good reads. I received it in yesterday's mail. I wanted it for my 11 year old grandson who loves robots and he is sort of a genius too. I hope he loves it because I think the story is very suited for him. Thanks for the copy of the book.

[Brenda Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of adventure and action. Enjoyed. I received this book through Goodreads.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are amazing! Strongly recommend to everyone! Note: this one has a pretty big cliff-hanger ending...

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story grows and continues - fun!

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good second book in series: gave new details, but left you wanting to learn more. Plus, it made my son smile, so a success. (And interesting enough to keep me happy while reading it to him.)

[Omar]

you suck