The Wild Robot was one of the Mock Newbery books that I didn't get to before the end of 2016, but I was intrigued by it from the first time I saw it. Peter Brown has written a number of picture books that I've used as mentor texts and read-alouds with my students, and the kids love them. Prior to reading the book, I ran across a number of very mixed reviews by other readers. Some loved the book, some had written distinctly unenthusiastic reviews. I started my reading with a bit of reserve, not wanting to expect very much. What I found was that the book started off with an interesting premise and a bit of whimsy. The ways Brown breaks up the chapters, titles each one, and includes some of his characteristic black and white illustrations every several pages, all make the book engaging for readers. Roz, the robot, has some very interesting encounters with the animals of the island she has ended up on, and the reader will quickly come to care for both Roz and all the animals. As I read through the first half of the book, I was thinking how the book would definitely be appealing to the kids I teach. Somewhere around the halfway point, I became emotionally invested in Roz and all of her co-inhabitants on the island. By the end of the book I was kind of blown away by the power this book has for making all readers think deeply about some pretty deep themes. Though this type of book is not typically my kind of read, I found that I really loved The Wild Robot, and believe it has great potential for middle grade readers. I just saw where a sequel is due out in the fall, and I'm excited for that!