School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-Fuzzy, an artificially intelligent robot, is Vanguard One Middle School's newest student. He will be joining the seventh grade as part of the much-publicized Robot Integration Program (RIP). Max is super excited when she is called in to assist the robot with navigating the middle school halls. Max's mother, who lost her job to a robot, however, is less than thrilled. And when Max starts getting in trouble at school and doing poorly on the Constant UpGrade (CUG) tests, her parents are furious. Fuzzy, concerned about his new friend, begins running a Help Max subroutine and accidentally discovers the school's computerized vice principal, Barbara, involved in some sketchy activity. Things really get out of hand when Max learns the true reason Fuzzy has been integrated into the school, and some cyberspies threaten the entire program. With his signature tongue-in-cheek humor, Angleberger, along with adult sci-fi author Dellinger, takes on public education's overtesting, concern with school and teacher ratings, and the increasing reliance on frequently glitchy technology. Although Fuzzy's voice could have sounded a bit more robotic, narrator Erin Moon does well giving voice to a large cast of characters. VERDICT Students who are interested in robotics, technology, and STEM will delight in this futuristic adventure from the author of the "Origami Yoda" series. ["An absorbing, fast-paced read and an excellent choice for middle schoolers": SLJ 8/16 review of the Abrams Amulet book.]-Lisa Hubler, Charles F. Brush High School, Lyndhurst, OH © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The newest student at Vanguard Middle School is Fuzzy, a robot developed as part of a government project exploring advanced artificial intelligence. In order to aid with Fuzzy's integration into the school, which is already under the control of the ultra-strict supercomputer known as Vice Principal Barbara, Maxine "Max" Zelaster is selected to act as his guide and friend. However, Max and Fuzzy face the anti-robot prejudices of those tired of losing their jobs to automation, as well as Barbara's increasingly tyrannical micromanagement. Complicating matters, the military keeps pushing up Fuzzy's development timeline, and someone is out to steal his unique code. Angleberger (the Origami Yoda series) and adult SF/fantasy author Dellinger draw a lot of comedy out of Fuzzy's challenging acclimation to middle school, and seem to have put substantial thought into the complexity of the software that makes him work (Fuzzy shorts out in the cafeteria after trying to listen to 250 kids talking at once). It's a fast-paced, entertaining romp that also offers a nuanced examination of intelligence, free will, and omnipresent technology. Ages 8-12. Agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
