Robot Dreams by Sara Varon

My roommate was making fun of me the whole time, but I was CRACKING UP at this book. It was so funny! I'm not sure I really even know what it was that was funny - the illustrations, the situations the characters found themselves in, or the sound effect words that popped up throughout the novel. It was probably a combination of all three. Either way, I just loved this book.

There was such a strong feeling of companionship in this book. Dog has been searching for a friend for a long time. Finally, he builds Robot, and they are instant besties, if you will. They make popcorn together, tuck each other into bed, and perform moves synchronize swimmers would be jealous of. They are two peas in a pod.

Sadly, the book is also incredibly tragic. Dog is forced to leave Robot behind after he rusts on the beach. The duration of the book shows Dog and Robot dreaming about their long lost friend. I might not be doing this portion of the book, but trust me, it was tragic. I was really upset.

The fact that this book garnered such an emotional response from me is really telling of its quality. It is so easy to relate to the characters. Everyone wants to find that one friend you can make popcorn with and synchronize swim in the ocean with. Unfortunately, many of us also lose that friend. This just shows one way people might go about handling these points in life.

I would highly recommend this book to people of all ages. I'm telling you, I was laughing so hard during it. The next second, I was ready to cry. Maybe I'm just an emotional wreck. I would like to say I doubt it, though. I think this is just a great book. :)