Zoid

Gr 3–6—In a distant future, killer zoids revolt, throwing off their shackles of subservience and attacking their human masters. York is a scavenger, away from the outpost when the zoids attack, who takes it upon himself to fight back, shooting grenbolts, which completely zilch the zoids. Reluctant or struggling readers may have difficulty with the invented vocabulary. If they push on, however, this dwindles in the second half of the book. The detailed line drawings throughout carry the plot along. The swashbuckling action requires very little of York, and he is successful at virtually every turn, defeating his opponents with ease. York becomes smitten with a "female" zoid with human skin and some decent programming. Their romance is tame, though, mostly involving York thinking about kissing her. Overall, the plotline is derivative, working back through themes well established by Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek Voyager, and Silent Running. For younger readers, however, these may be uncharted waters, and the novelty of the concepts coupled with invented vocabulary may prove alluring.