Description
Description
Twelve-year-old Zuzu Santos doesn't want a robot. She and her best friends, otherwise known as "the Valleycats," would rather explore Bright Valley on their own. But then Zuzu meets Snap, a know-it-all guardian robot with a limited battery life and an abundance of hope. A gripping, stand-alone, thematically rich survival story by two-time Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly, for fans of The Wild Robot and A Rover's Story.
Bright Valley Subsidized Camp #5 is not a perfect place to live. It's dusty, there are no trees to provide respite from the beating sun, the trailers are falling apart, and the water supply is heavily rationed. But to twelve-year-old Zuzu Santos and her three best friends, Bright Valley is home.
When Zuzu's dad loses his job at Lockwood, the corporation that controls everything from rations to education, he isn't given money or food or water as severance, but a dated, first-generation robot. They do not provide a working charging station. Zuzu names the robot Snap, and he soon becomes part of the Bright Valley family. But Snap's battery is dwindling every day, and though Snap is prepared for his inevitable reset, Zuzu isn't. She would do whatever it takes to keep Snap alive. The problem is, Snap would do the same for Zuzu and her friends, no matter the cost.
Erin Entrada Kelly tells a moving story of friendship and family, rich with themes and characters that will resonate with readers. The Second Life of Snap is a futuristic book for middle graders that is grounded, full of heart and humor, and unforgettable. An excellent choice for fans of The Wild Robot, A Rover's Story, and Erin Entrada Kelly's own We Dream of Space.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
Set in a convincing near-future shaped by climate change, two-time Newbery Medalist Kelly's latest feels both urgent and deeply humane, pairing survival and grit with achingly moving moments of tenderness. A profoundly relevant dystopian tale powered by one resourceful girl and a robot worth rooting for. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A dictatorial regime's robot creation provides unexpected comfort to down-and-out tweens in this affirming contemplation of mortality and the necessity of community from Kelly. Succinct and immersive prose renders a futuristic tale that touches on timely subjects such as climate change, technological classism, and the increasing integration of AI into everyday life, populated by racially diverse characters whose ingenuity and capacity for optimism model replicable behaviors for children navigating similar ordeals. - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Notwithstanding a hint of light at the very end, readers will be strongly affected by this wrenching story as well as by the harsh future setting. - Booklist (starred review)
Snap is magnificent. - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
Kelly spins a wonderful story with compelling characters and interesting conflicts that will give readers an opportunity to discuss and mull over its themes for a long time. An excellent addition to any upper elementary or middle school library. This is dystopian fiction at its finest. - School Library Journal (starred review)
Dystopian though the setting is, it feels fully accessible whether or not readers are frequent sci-fi consumers, with easily recognizable connections to our world. Likable characters with varying takes on Lockwood give readers a chance to form their own opinions. Zuzu's awareness of Snap's dwindling battery life provides both tension and poignancy, and the bittersweet final scene may tug at even a robot's heartstrings. - Horn Book (starred review)
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
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