A Rover's Story - by Jasmine Warga (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

#1 New York Times bestseller * Best Book of the Year from The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library

The One and Only Ivan meets The Wild Robot in this unique and deeply moving middle grade novel about the journey of a fictional Mars rover, from the Newbery Honor-winning author of Other Words for Home.

Meet Resilience, a Mars rover determined to live up to his name.

Res was built to explore Mars. He was not built to have human emotions. But as he learns new things from the NASA scientists who assemble him, he begins to develop humanlike feelings. Maybe there's a problem with his programming....

Human emotions or not, launch day comes, and Res blasts off to Mars, accompanied by a friendly drone helicopter named Fly. But Res quickly discovers that Mars is a dangerous place filled with dust storms and giant cliffs. As he navigates Mars's difficult landscape, Res is tested in ways that go beyond space exploration.

As millions of people back on Earth follow his progress, will Res have the determination, courage, and resilience to succeed...and survive?

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR THE SHAPE OF THUNDER: "With taut pacing, nuanced characters, and compassionate depictions of grief and trauma, Warga's novel is both timely and transcendent; a must-purchase for all collections." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"The story builds steadily toward a moving conclusion; Warga's lyrical language and credible rendering of both middle school life and of the tensions of two families coping differently with personal devastation make for a perceptive, sensitively told novel about the effects of gun violence." - Publishers Weekly

"An endlessly inventive story, replete with gentle humor and playful pondering, offering a unique perspective on everything from music and electronics to loyalty and love. Res is written in a distinct, precise voice and sweetly countered by interspersed letters to the rover from a young girl intimately connected to his being, and both thoughtfully evolve as the years pass. A profound and poignant exploration of the universe both outside and within us all." - Booklist (starred review)

"This is far from just a cerebral exploration of what humanity means, however, and there's plenty of adventure and tension as Res confronts dust storms, howling winds, gear-grinding gravel, and dangerous craters. Sure to correctly garner comparisons to Brown's The Wild Robot, this shares that title's appeal and accessibility." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"As a mechanical engineer and STEM-lover, this beautiful book filled my heart right to the top. Res may be a rover, but he taught me what it means to be fully alive." - Christina Soontornvat, two-time Newbery Honor recipient

"A touching, fact-filled novel [that] centers the maturation of gutsy Mars rover Resilience." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Warga follows her cybernetic narrator from first awareness to final resting place--and stony indeed will be any readers who remain unmoved by the journey. The intelligences here may be (mostly) artificial, but the feelings are genuine and deep." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Will thrill fans of both adventure and robot stories and also provide intellectual sustenance for the deep thinkers...Through the character of a robot Warga probes issues of identity, attachment, and the purpose of life, offering readers an unusual but heartfelt example of the importance of staying true to yourself, quirks and all." - Horn Book Magazine

"It's a gripping read. The novel does a terrific job of communicating scientific information to young readers, and it's also emotionally satisfying."

"A fictional Mars Rover narrates its own journey from the robotics lab to the Red Planet. The format of brief journal entries and letters is engagingly readable for even reluctant readers, and the humorous interactions between -robots and machines keep the science-heavy story moving at a reasonable pace. A fresh format and timely topic engage readers in this uplifting and deeply human sci-fi story." - School Library Journal

"Warga's middle-grade debut puts its hands around your heart and holds it, ever so gently, so that you're aware of your own fragility and resilience: just as Jude is while her life changes drastically... Other Words for Home should find its way into every middle-grade reader's hands." - ALA Booklist (starred review)

"This powerful middle grade novel explores the complicated concepts of war and corruption, home, family, [and] belonging.... Highly recommended for all libraries, this title will easily find a home next to books like Refugee by Alan Gratz and Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"Convincing and authentic, infused with thoughtfulness, humor, determination, and hope.... A realistic portrait of the strength it takes to move to a new country, as well as of the complicated dynamics between first- and second-generation immigrants." - Horn Book (starred review)

"Warga situates her verse novel at a sweet spot for middle-graders...the complications of assessing whether Jude is as lucky as everyone makes her out to be ring poignantly true, and when Jude takes her place on the school stage, Warga's audience will surely applaud." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Through Jude's eyes readers see firsthand what it is to leave behind one's beloved home and family as many refugees do every single day. Young readers will laugh with Jude, cry with her, and root for her every step of the way. A beautiful, powerful, and necessary book for all readers." - Aisha Saeed, New York Times bestselling author of Amal Unbound

"Other Words for Home is a salve for the world we live in today. It's a hope-filled story that doesn't pander but instead peels back layers of culture and identity, fear and prejudice, exile and belonging, all wrapped around a young Syrian girl--Jude. Checked with equal parts fear and moxie, Jude is a heart trying to figure out how to beat outside the body. I ached for, but simultaneously found that though our stories are different, I am her. This is a necessary story. We're lucky to have it in the world." - Jason Reynolds, award-winning, bestselling author of Ghost and Long Way Down

"[Cora and Quinn] are well developed, and Warga skillfully handles both their delicate, emotional friendship and larger subjects of grief and gun violence. Powerful and emotionally complex." - Kirkus Reviews

"This will spark meaningful discussions." - ALA Booklist

"Warga skillfully develops unique voices for her narrators, and the novel's alternating-perspective structure works well. Emotions run high throughout the book without dragging down the plot, and the portrayal of middle-school life is utterly authentic." - Horn Book Magazine

"Warga limns a tale that downplays sensationalism while acknowledging the deep fear that many readers may carry regarding school shootings." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

PRAISE FOR OTHER WORDS FOR HOME: [In] this timely book... rhythmic lines distill Jude's deepest emotions.... Warga effectively shows, as she writes in an author's note, that "children who are fleeing from a war zone... want the same things all of us do--love, understanding, safety, a chance at happiness." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Warga portrays with extraordinary talent the transformation of a family's life before and after the war began in Syria.... Her free-verse narration cuts straight to the bone... [and] confront[s] the difficult realities of being Muslim and Arab in the U.S. Poetic, immersive, hopeful." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)