A riveting true story about dreams, dedication, and an amazing robot named Stinky, based on Joshua Davis' New York Times bestseller and now adapted for young readers by bestselling Mexican American author Reyna Grande.
In 2004, four undocumented Mexican teenagers arrived at the national underwater robotics championship at the University of California, Santa Barbara. No one had ever told Oscar, Cristian, Luis, or Lorenzo that they would amount to much—until two inspiring high school science teachers convinced the boys to enter the competition. Up against some of the best collegiate engineers in the country, this team of underdogs from Phoenix, Arizona, scraped together spare parts and a few small donations to astound not only the competition's judges but themselves, too.
Adapted by Reyna Grande—author of the acclaimed memoir The Distance Between Us about her experience as an undocumented child immigrant—this young readers' edition of Joshua Davis's New York Times bestseller showcases these students' ingenuity and courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Timely and empowering, Spare Parts is an accessible introduction to STEM, immigration, and the reality of the American Dream.
Spare Parts (Young Readers' Edition)
The True Story of Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and an Impossible Dream
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
May 30, 2023 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780374388621
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780374388621
- File size: 11697 KB
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 820
- Text Difficulty: 3-4
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Reviews
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Kirkus
April 15, 2023
Adapted from a popular adult title that inspired a feature film and a documentary, this young readers' edition tells the story of four young undocumented immigrants from Mexico who triumphed over more privileged teams at a robotics contest. Each of them arrived in Arizona through very different circumstances but ended up meeting at Carl Hayden Community High School, where their various interests brought them together for a huge challenge--the 2004 Marine Advanced Technology Education Robotics Competition. These teens were up against students from colleges such as MIT and had to build submersible technology that could travel and take scientific measurements underwater. The story focuses on each of the four in turn. Oscar is the JROTC-trained leader, disciplined and driven; Luis is the strong and mostly silent presence of the group; Lorenzo is teased by schoolmates for his long hair but is a creative dynamo; and Cristian is a skinny, unathletic whiz kid who as a child loved taking apart electronics. Together, they worked on a vehicle, Stinky, made from low-cost materials that nonetheless blew the competition out of the water. This thrilling tale offers an intimate glimpse into the difficulties faced by many young immigrants. Anecdotes and details about each of the four flesh them out; readers will be rooting for these hardworking, determined teens. An underdog story makes for high drama in this relatable take on the source material. (afterword) (Nonfiction. 10-14)COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Formats
- Kindle Book
- OverDrive Read
- EPUB ebook
Languages
- English
Levels
- Lexile® Measure:820
- Text Difficulty:3-4
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