Jake In Space: Robot Games by Candice Lemon-Scott

Whoosh! A robot in a jet-powered winged suit flew straight past Jake and his friends. It looked like a cross between a person and a plane. Jake could smell the burning fuel as the robot shot upwards. The heat from the jets was so intense it almost burned the skin on his face.

Zoom! Another robot came out of nowhere.

Jake jumped as it roared by, making him spill his super-fizz swurpie all over himself. The rainbow-coloured fizzy bubbles started popping all over his pants, leaving a wet, sticky mess.

‘Great!’ he mumbled, pulling an instant-dry cloth from his shirt pocket.

He was busy trying to wipe his pants clean when Rory nudged him. Following his gaze skywards, Jake’s jaw dropped open.

Whoosh! A robot in a jet-powered winged suit flew straight past Jake and his friends. It looked like a cross between a person and a plane. Jake could smell the burning fuel as the robot shot upwards. The heat from the jets was so intense it almost burned the skin on his face.

Zoom! Another robot came out of nowhere.

Jake jumped as it roared by, making him spill his super-fizz swurpie all over himself. The rainbow-coloured fizzy bubbles started popping all over his pants, leaving a wet, sticky mess.

‘Great!’ he mumbled, pulling an instant-dry cloth from his shirt pocket.

He was busy trying to wipe his pants clean when Rory nudged him. Following his gaze skywards, Jake’s jaw dropped open.

Jake and his friends are attending the Robot Games, arena spectacular competitions and displays by the most advanced robots ever developed. But something’s is wrong with their cyborg friend Henry. It could be that he has eaten too many of the weird popping snack, Gob Pop, he seems to love. They’re not sure what’s going on with him so they take him to the nearby medical centre, despite having to miss some of the Robot Games events. Black and white images appear with each new chapter and across the bottom of each opening.

‘Jake In Space: Robot Games’ is a third instalment in a series for young readers from New Frontier Publishing. Three more titles are to be released soon. Each adventure involves Jake and his friends in a mystery that only they can solve. Each is set in a future where robots are familiar and children control their own space cars. Characters require clear-thinking skills and imagination. Action is fast-paced and there are plenty of wonderful gadgets to keep readers engaged. Recommended for newly-independent readers.

Jake In Space: Robot Games, Candice Lemon-Scott 2014 New Frontier Publishing ISBN: 9781925059120

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com