The Wild Robot

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What did you think of the novel’s cliffhanger ending? Did Roz’s decision to leave the island surprise you? What lingering questions do you have? What predictions do you have for the rest of the series?

2. How does The Wild Robot compare to other middle-grade novels that depict a protagonist learning to survive on their own in nature, such as Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins or Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet? What sets Brown’s book apart from these other texts?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. One of the novel’s most important dynamics is the bond between Roz and Brightbill. What did you think of their parent-child relationship? Did any of their experiences resonate with you? Why or why not?

2. One of the major questions that Brown asks in this novel is what it means to be alive. What qualities prove that Roz is “alive” even though she is a robot? How do these qualities compare to your own criteria of what it means to be alive?