"Robot adventure with real heart, by the inimitable Frank Cottrell-Boyce"
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2020 | May 2019 Book of the Month
No matter how exciting, zany and surprising the action, you can always be sure that Frank Cottrell-Boyce will build his stories on real human emotions, and that’s as true of this brilliantly funny, original and touching novel as of any of its predecessors. Alfie ‘swerves’ both school and the Limb Lab, where he should be going to learn how to control his state-of-the-art new hand, by hanging out at the airport.
But everything changes when, through various happy accidents, he finds an enormous robot called Eric in Lost Property. Eric holds the Allen key to the book’s mysteries, both a generations-old legend, and the secrets that Archie is keeping from the reader and himself. Beautifully told and full of characters readers will love, this book will have you laughing out loud one minute, in tears the next.
Robot Eric, unfailingly polite, kind and helpful and trying to explain himself through misremembered jokes is an iron man for our time. Unmissable.
Once readers have finished this, point them in the direction of Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s other books including The Astounding Broccoli Boy and books by Ross Welford. Peter Brown’s story The Wild Robot is another great automaton adventure.

Alfie is off school after an accident in which he lost both his hand and his confidence. He's lonely all day on his own. So when he comes across Eric, a one-legged robot in need of a friend, he brings him home with him.
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the best books for 9-12 year olds · the best books for teenagers
Alfie is off school after an accident in which he lost both his hand and his confidence. He's lonely all day on his own.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Runaway Robot and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Runaway Robot features in the following genres: Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Fantasy / Magical
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Runaway Robot was written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and published by Macmillan Children's Books an imprint of Pan Macmillan
Runaway Robot has 271 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.