Eager

by Helen Fox

Book Overview

It's the end of the 21st century where technocrats rule and robots take care of humans' every need. Your house watches you, knows your secrets, and talks to you. And your closest friend can be--a 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 can't be repaired, so a scientist friend loans them EGR3, an experimental new robot to help Grumps...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553487957
• ISBN13: 9780553487954
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Yearling Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Awesome book!

From the cover of the book, you would not be able to guess the greatness of the book. You would not be able to tell if this book will be the best book that you have ever read, or horribly bad. But let me tell you from the start, this is a great book. I don't know if it will make a difference to what I say, but if you read this book, you will love it. The reason why I love this book so much is easy to see, but only if you read the book. I liked the book for many reasons, but the biggest would be that I would really know what was going on in the book at all times. It had so much description that I would feel like I was right in front of it all. I could picture all of the futuristic things in the story, the buildings, the cars (called hoverbuses, most of the time), and all of the things in the story. I would also feel the same way as the characters did most of the time, when they had emotions. For example, when one of the robots that the family owned was run over by a truck, I felt the sadness that they all witnessed. There were other things that made the story great, but overall, the description in the story conquered all.

21st

Eager a new robot, developed by Professor Ogden, one of Gavin's friends. What Eager was made for, trying to find out what it means to be alive. 12-year old Gavin Bell and his father are taking the hover bus to Gavin's friend Professor Ogden's house. When they arrive Professor Odgen greets them. He takes them to his science lab and shows them his latest invention. Eager. A few weeks later Fleur (Gavins sister) calls her friend Chike in Nigeria. He says LifeCorp's (a company that builds robots and other stuff) new line of robots; the BDC4's are locking people in their own home. Fleurs friend Marcia owns a BDC4. It has just locked her parents in her house! Fleur, Gavin, Eager and Marcia go to LifeCorps headquarters and find out what is wrong with the BDC4's while Eager finds out what it means to be alive. Eager is a really great book. Be sure to read the sequel: Eagers Nephew! Eager a new robot, developed by Professor Ogden, one of Gavin's friends. What Eager was made for, trying to find out what it means to be alive. 12-year old Gavin Bell and his father are taking the hover bus to Gavin's friend Professor Ogden's house. When they arrive Professor Odgen greets them. He takes them to his science lab and shows them his latest invention. Eager. A few weeks later Fleur (Gavins sister) calls her friend Chike in Nigeria. He says LifeCorp's (a company that builds robots and other stuff) new line of robots; the BDC4's are locking people in their own home. Fleurs friend Marcia owns a BDC4. It has just locked her parents in her house! Fleur, Gavin, Eager and Marcia go to LifeCorps headquarters and find out what is wrong with the BDC4's while Eager finds out what it means to be alive. Eager is a really great book. Be sure to read the sequel: Eagers Nephew!

This book is addictive...

I got this book to read aloud to my 9 year old son, but it was so great that I couldn't wait and read to the end of the book after he went to sleep! When I had finished reading it aloud to him we both wanted to read the next book "Eager's nephew" (which was equally addictive!) The story is about a robot that has been designed to learn from his own experiences. He has emotions just the same as a human. He is a pretty funky design and my son and I had a great laugh about what he is able to do with his arms and legs. The story is at times touching and other times thrilling. Eager is sent to live with the Bell family partly for his own safety and partly as a learning experience. There are some interesting elements such as how he tries to wash a baby when he has never done it or seen it done before, etc. You will have a good laugh. Social issues of injustice and inequality are important elements for the story. This is an excellent book in that not only is it a fascinating read but it is also a starting point for excellent discussions on a number of topics including: technology, equality, emotions, reality, family values, social issues, etc. I could not recommend this book more highly. There are no slow parts in the story at all and it includes wonderful vocabulary that children are not often exposed to these days. If you enjoy science fiction, you will love this book.

A great, great book

This book is really really good and I'm hoping for a sequel. I picked it off the shelf because the cover was so cute! Then I read the mini bio on the author and found out she was way capable of writing a book. I'm not even done with it but I thought it was so good I had to write a review. I almost cried when, in the story, the butler got run over because the author's writing was so descriptive and you got attached to the characters. I would recommend it to anyone 12 and over (kids under 12 might not have a high enough reading level). :)

Futuristic novel full of suspense and adventure

Gavin and Fleur Bell live in a house that wakes them, watches them, protects them, and feeds them. It's the end of the 21st century in England, and EAGER is full of fascinating details of life in the future: clothes and rooms that change color, wristwatch telephone/computers called "jinns," houses that rearrange themselves, and much more. Yet people remain similar to today, with the same emotional makeup. The Bell family's robot butler, Grumps, is no longer working properly. He's an older model and is wearing out, serving the family tomato soup for breakfast and otherwise acting oddly. Unfortunately, he's not repairable. Grumps tells us in a poignant scene what it's like to have the house tell him that his family wants to replace him. Fleur and Gavin wonder what kind of new robot they'll get: will he be a tall Greek goddess-like BDC4? Or a soft speaking "monk" model? Mr. Bell works for the most important agency in the world --- LifeCorp, a company providing transport, food, water, learning centers, and other necessary functions. Technology eases the lives of the people. Robots do most menial work. However, technology also threatens people since robot workers cause many human workers to be unemployed. Professor Ogden, a friend of Mr. Bell's, gives the Bells a robot named EGR3. "Eager" is the professor's latest invention, and he'd like it to be in a family setting. Eager will actually be Grumps's assistant. The two robots are completely different. Eager thinks for himself, is curious, feels emotions, and is intellectual. The Bells' new robot realizes humans "kill" robots they no longer need; he becomes obsessed with death. In the meantime, Gavin learns of an underground movement against the all-controlling LifeCorp, while Fleur's best friend replaces her with a robot pal. Gavin, Fleur, and Eager notice advanced robots called BDC4s holding secret meetings and otherwise acting strangely. Of course, they must investigate. This is a stunningly good novel with a quick plot. The characters --- human and techno --- are believable and sympathetic, raising intriguing questions about robots and morality. A thread of ominously building suspense makes the book hard to put down. If we're lucky, there will be a sequel to EAGER. Very highly recommended! --- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (terryms2001@yahoo.com)