Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

Monsters: Robots. Don Nardo. 48 p. Detroit: Kidhaven Press, 2008. ISBN 13: 978-0-7377-3779-0; ISBN 10: 0-7377-3779-4. $26.20.

Monsters: Robots While not a monster in the traditional sense, the robot nevertheless is a worthy subject for the Monsters series. Unlike most other volumes in the series, this title begins not with the creature’s origins, but with one of its primary places in popular culture: as a central character in movies. Dozens of examples are described, from the menacing Terminator to the sweet and comedic R2-D2 and C-3PO. This chapter serves to heighten interest in the second chapter, which explores the origins of the robot and even cites Asimov’s original three laws of robotics about how humans and advanced robots might best co-exist. A chapter on realistic robots and a final chapter expanding on the robot’s place in popular culture round out this volume. Recommended for public and school libraries.
—Doug Achterman