Unlike Grumps, their old-fashioned robot, the Bell family's new robot, Eager, is programmed to not merely obey but to question, reason, and exercise free will. Itb2s the end of the 21st century where technocrats rule and robots take care of humansb2 every need. Your house watches you, knows your secrets, and talks to you. And your closest friend can beb7a machine? Gavin Bell and his teenage sister Fleur come from a middle-class family. Their much-loved, old-fashioned robot, Grumps, is running down and canb2t be repaired, so a scientist friend loans them EGR3, an experimental new robot to help Grumps. EGR3, known as Eager, learns from his experiences, as a child would. He feels emotionsb7wonder, excitement, and loss. When the ultra high-tech, eerily human BDC4 robots begin to behave suspiciously, Eager and the Bells are drawn into a great adventure that is sometimes dark and often humorous. As Eagerb2s extraordinary abilities are tested to the

008-012.

Ages 8-12.

Grades 3-7.

Accelerated Reader AR,MG,5.0,9.0,78560.

A Junior Library Guild selection.