Eager

From School Library Journal Grade 5-8–In Fox's futuristic world, starvation and homelessness don't exist but the boundary between the haves and have-nots is vast. The best jobs and latest technological inventions go only to the economically elite technocrats and government leaders. Curfews are enforced because marauders often attack these wealthier citizens. LifeCorp, a huge conglomerate, controls much of the new technology. Even though Gavin Bell's parents are only middle-class professionals, they, like most people, have a family robot. Unfortunately, Grumps is an older model that's beginning to malfunction. They can't afford a BDC4, a sleek new robot that is almost unnaturally clever, so they take on Eager, an experimental model secretly produced by a former LifeCorp scientist. Although his older sister is embarrassed by Eager's unattractive appearance, Gavin is intrigued by the robot, which can learn, reason, and even lie. Before long, the siblings notice that there is something strange and frightening about the BDC4s. The machines begin rebelling against their owners, and when they take the head of LifeCorp hostage, it's up to Eager to save him. There is a lot of warmth and humor in this engaging, Jetsons -like novel (complete with talking houses and appliances). The characters are well developed and the action moves quickly. The author also raises thought-provoking questions about what it means to be human, the dangers of technology, and the concept of free will. –Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Gr. 7-9. It is late-twenty-first-century England, and the Bell family's robot butler, Grumps, is wearing out. The family decides to keep Grumps but to take on a new robot named Eager, who is programmed to learn about the world as a human would by making mistakes and searching for the answers to life's questions. Most of this entertaining novel centers on Eager's often funny efforts to come to grips with a multitude of problems, although he and the Bell children also uncover a rebellion by highly sophisticated, humanlike robots. In her debut, Fox creates a futuristic world that doesn't fit the usual sf mold. For example, some problems from the present day (such as a dependence on a nearly exhausted supply of oil) still persist, for example. Appropriately, Eager hasn't learned all life's answers by the story's end. In fact, the conclusion suggests that readers will be hearing from Eager and the Bell family again in a sequel, which will be welcome news to sf fans who will undoubtedly enjoy this effort. Todd Morning Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved