Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2014 Gr 3–5—Scieszka's latest novel centers on kid genius and inventor Frank Einstein and his two self-assembled robots, Klink and Klank. When Frank designs an antimatter motor flying bike to submit for Midville's Science Prize, his idea is stolen—along with Klink and Klank—by his rival, T. Edison, and Edison's sidekick, Mr. Chimp, an actual chimp who communicates through sign language. But, with a bit of ingenuity, and a little help from his Grampa Al and his friend Watson, Frank is able to thwart Edison's plans and rescue the two robots. Sciezka writes in the present tense, creating a fast-paced read, and offers plenty of science facts for children. Biggs's cartoon drawings cleverly add to the story, particularly his illustrations of Mr. Chimp's sign language, which are seamlessly interspersed as dialogue throughout the text. Although not entirely original as a character, Frank is likable and resourceful, while Edison makes for a diabolical but predictable villain. However, children will enjoy the matter-of-fact Klink, affable Klank, and droll Mr. Chimp, all of whom provide the majority of the laughs in the book and inject some novelty into an otherwise standard story. With humor, straightforward writing, tons of illustrations, and a touch of action at the end, this book is accessible and easy to read, making it an appealing choice for reluctant readers. A solid start to the series.—Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2014 Science geek and amateur inventor Frank Einstein is certain that his creation of a Smartbot, an independently thinking robot, will land him the $100,000 Midville Science Prize that will enable him to pay off his Grampa Al’s bills for good. Unfortunately, a lightning storm puts the kibosh on his experiment, and Frank goes to bed thinking he’s left with a fried toaster and ruined plans. He wakes up, however, to find Klink and Klank, two “self assembled artificial entities” (okay, Klank is “mostly self assembled,” since he needed some help) made up of bits of stopwatches, video games, toasters, exercise equipment, Shop Vacs, and whatever else happened to get thrown into the mix. Since they won’t work as entries for the contest (he didn’t technically create them), Frank decides to enlist their help in making his ultimate invention, an antimatter motor-but will his dreaded arch nemesis and fellow kid genius T. Edison thwart his plans? Scieszka strikes just the right balance between goofy humor and technical jargon, a combination that will particularly please the geek squad as they giggle over antimatter jokes and nod along to allusions to scientific discoveries and history. The characters aren’t particularly deep, but there’s a warmth to Frank’s relationships with Grampa Al and his best friend Watson, and the two robots play the ideal odd couple with their Felix and Oscar-like repartee. Cartoony illustrations add to the humor and diagram some of the more complex concepts. This series open is sure to find fans among kids who spend most their time in the 609s. KQG - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 09/01/2014 *Starred Review* In this start to a new series, young Frank Einstein and his trusted pal Watson foil the dastardly plans of archnemesis T. Edison and his financial advisor, Mr. Chimp. Along the way, they rely on the material assistance of Frank’s genius robot Klink and not-so-genius-but-affectionate robot Klank and the abiding support of Frank’s Grampa Al. The high jinks begin at a school science prize competition and continue after Edison steals Frank’s antimatter technology, ultimately leaving the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Scieszka soaks the narrative in real science, from a narrative structure built on the principles of scientific inquiry to throwaway jokes about apes and teeth. Literary allusions abound, including a principled invocation of Isaac Asimov’s three laws of robotics as articulated in I, Robot. The busy book design features imagery on almost every spread; Biggs’ full-page comic illustrations alternate with spot drawings, numbered scientific figures, diagrams, and blueprints. The clever use of typefaces adds to the visual appeal, with distinctive fonts for the two robots’ dialogue and pictographic ASL hand letters for Mr. Chimp (with a key in the back). In the final analysis, this buoyant, tongue-in-cheek celebration of the impulse to “keep asking questions and finding your own answers” fires on all cylinders. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.

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