Cats vs. Robots: This Is War

Gr 3–6—The Robot Federation of Planet Binar and the Great Feline Empire of Planet Felinus have been longtime enemies. Both are ruled by somewhat preoccupied leaders, with more competent second-in-command counterparts handling business. The discovery of something called a "singularity chip" on a primitive, unimportant planet called Earth, however, grabs the attention of the cats and robots alike. The singularity chip is said to be capable of either extending a cat's life indefinitely, or serving as an infinite power supply to a robot. The respective leaders both need the chip, so the race to acquire it begins. On Earth, the chip is the work of two married scientists, parents to two polar-opposite children. Max loves designing video games, struggles in school, and has great affection for cats; high-achieving Min's passion is robotics and she dislikes cats. Chaos ensues! This story fits squarely in the subgenre of goofy, outer space–based comedy. The characters are a bit two-dimensional and the singularity chip's highly specific uses are a little implausible, but fans of the genre won't mind. Text messages from the children's parents (absent for most of the story) make the parents sound like highly excitable teenagers and adds to the silliness. Promotion of STEM skills, the drama of a robotics competition, and a gender-nonbinary role model also enhance the text.