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Choose Your Own Adventure: Young Readers #4
Your Very Own Robot
Your parents are scientists. One day, they throw some pieces of a robot in the rubbish. If you can figure out how to put the pieces back together, you'll have a robot of your very own! But do you know enough to control it? Or will it take over your school and your life?
You choose what happens next.... 12 possible endings!
You choose what happens next.... 12 possible endings!
52 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
6 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Montgomery
151 books119 followersRaymond A. Montgomery (born 1936 in Connecticut) was an author and progenitor of the classic Choose Your Own Adventure interactive children's book series, which ran from 1979 to 2003. Montgomery graduated from Williams College and went to graduate school at Yale University and New York University (NYU). He devoted his life to teaching and education.
In 2004, he co-founded the Chooseco publishing company alongside his wife, fellow author/publisher Shannon Gilligan, with the goal of reviving the CYOA series with new novels and reissued editions of the classics.
He continued to write and publish until his death in 2014.
In 2004, he co-founded the Chooseco publishing company alongside his wife, fellow author/publisher Shannon Gilligan, with the goal of reviving the CYOA series with new novels and reissued editions of the classics.
He continued to write and publish until his death in 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 22, 2019
Your Very Own Robot imperfectly toes the line between realism and obvious fantasy, but that kind of works for how the book is done. Even when the story's action is plausible it seems better to view it as a fun fantasy, filled with events that aren't necessarily logical but can be enjoyable.
Your parents, both scientists, have built a roughly humanoid robot that doesn't function properly. Unable to work out the glitches in his creation, your father throws the robot in the garbage. It's up to you to redeem the robot and see if it might be useful after all. What would you do with a robot of your own? What adventures could lie ahead?
The difference between a good and bad ending can tilt on the axis of a single seemingly innocuous decision, so be wise in the way you proceed. You could end up with a terrific new friend in the robot, and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you rescued it from destruction and engineered a success story when even your brilliant parents had given up hope. If you don't make optimal choices then usually you'll survive, but the robot will end up being scrapped. At least you did your best to make the project work.
The Dragonlark edition of Your Very Own Robot is a mixed bag. It's not as good as the original 1982 version, and much of the reason why is that Paul Granger's illustrations are more evocative than Keith Newton's. Background art is Newton's forte, but his penchant for storytelling via illustration is not on the same level as Granger's. R.A. Montgomery makes decent use of the brief space available to tell the story, and I would rate this version of Your Very Own Robot one and a half stars.
Your parents, both scientists, have built a roughly humanoid robot that doesn't function properly. Unable to work out the glitches in his creation, your father throws the robot in the garbage. It's up to you to redeem the robot and see if it might be useful after all. What would you do with a robot of your own? What adventures could lie ahead?
The difference between a good and bad ending can tilt on the axis of a single seemingly innocuous decision, so be wise in the way you proceed. You could end up with a terrific new friend in the robot, and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you rescued it from destruction and engineered a success story when even your brilliant parents had given up hope. If you don't make optimal choices then usually you'll survive, but the robot will end up being scrapped. At least you did your best to make the project work.
The Dragonlark edition of Your Very Own Robot is a mixed bag. It's not as good as the original 1982 version, and much of the reason why is that Paul Granger's illustrations are more evocative than Keith Newton's. Background art is Newton's forte, but his penchant for storytelling via illustration is not on the same level as Granger's. R.A. Montgomery makes decent use of the brief space available to tell the story, and I would rate this version of Your Very Own Robot one and a half stars.
September 8, 2023
I like this book. The plot of Your Very Own Robot imperfectly toes the line between realism and obvious fantasy, but that kind of works for how the book is done. Even when the story's action is plausible it seems better to view it as a fun fantasy, filled with events that aren't necessarily logical but are always funny and enjoyable.
Your parents, both scientists, have built a roughly humanoid robot that doesn't function properly. Unable to work out the glitches in his creation, your father throws the robot in the garbage. It's up to you to redeem the robot and see if it might be useful after all. What would you do with a robot of your own? What adventures could lie ahead?
The difference between a good and bad ending can tilt on the axis of a single seemingly innocuous decision, so be wise in the way you proceed. You could end up with a terrific new friend in the robot, and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you rescued it from destruction and engineered a success story when even your brilliant parents had given up hope. If you don't make optimal choices then usually you'll survive, but the robot will end up being scrapped. At least you did your best to make the project work.
Your Very Own Robot is a nice mix of simple adventure and attractive nonsense, with an ending or two that is suitably disturbing. Just try not to end up incarcerated for an indefinite period of time, or physically dismantled by a new race of creatures. It's not a good thing.
This book feels short but is entertaining, and R.A. Montgomery makes good use of the space available to fashion the storyline. I would give one and a half stars to Your Very Own Robot.
Your parents, both scientists, have built a roughly humanoid robot that doesn't function properly. Unable to work out the glitches in his creation, your father throws the robot in the garbage. It's up to you to redeem the robot and see if it might be useful after all. What would you do with a robot of your own? What adventures could lie ahead?
The difference between a good and bad ending can tilt on the axis of a single seemingly innocuous decision, so be wise in the way you proceed. You could end up with a terrific new friend in the robot, and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you rescued it from destruction and engineered a success story when even your brilliant parents had given up hope. If you don't make optimal choices then usually you'll survive, but the robot will end up being scrapped. At least you did your best to make the project work.
Your Very Own Robot is a nice mix of simple adventure and attractive nonsense, with an ending or two that is suitably disturbing. Just try not to end up incarcerated for an indefinite period of time, or physically dismantled by a new race of creatures. It's not a good thing.
This book feels short but is entertaining, and R.A. Montgomery makes good use of the space available to fashion the storyline. I would give one and a half stars to Your Very Own Robot.
March 6, 2013
Ah, my first Choose Your Own Adventure book. I'm fairly sure that it no longer exists, having disintegrated under the stress of thousands of re-reads (I had to be sure that I'd read every possible story).
May 4, 2008
Targeted towards a younger audience and appropriate for read-aloud.
November 22, 2016
I was so excited to see that Choose Your Own Adventure was exhibiting at BEA. I loved those books when I was younger. I picked up this earlier reader adventure for my 6 year-old son. I was waiting for him to get a little better at reading, so he could read it to me, but in the end, I ended up reading it to him twice.
The first time we read it, we must have made all the wrong choices because our adventure ended after only about 10 pages and was quite dull. The second time we read the book, we made better choices, but the book was still shorter than I would have liked. We had a couple of twists and turns in the roughly 25 pages I had to read that time, but the book overall is 80 pages, so there's a lot we still haven't explored.
This book would make a better independent read because the young reader (ages 5-8) would be tired of reading right around the time the adventure ends. The re-readability of this book is great because the story changes every time. It's almost as fun as I remember, and I know we'll read it again a couple more times, but I think we'll wait until my son truly can read it on his own.
http://www.momsradius.com/2016/11/boo...
The first time we read it, we must have made all the wrong choices because our adventure ended after only about 10 pages and was quite dull. The second time we read the book, we made better choices, but the book was still shorter than I would have liked. We had a couple of twists and turns in the roughly 25 pages I had to read that time, but the book overall is 80 pages, so there's a lot we still haven't explored.
This book would make a better independent read because the young reader (ages 5-8) would be tired of reading right around the time the adventure ends. The re-readability of this book is great because the story changes every time. It's almost as fun as I remember, and I know we'll read it again a couple more times, but I think we'll wait until my son truly can read it on his own.
http://www.momsradius.com/2016/11/boo...
February 15, 2023
Weaker "choose your own adventure" from their more junior-oriented series. Didn't really like the choices, didn't like most of the results. Though it would be awfully fun to build a playhouse with my very own robot.
This is the "Dragonlark" version, which I believe is different from the original in more than just the pictures (which are now full color).
This is the "Dragonlark" version, which I believe is different from the original in more than just the pictures (which are now full color).
December 19, 2016
Just couldn't get into it as much the other cyoa books. I got 4 of 12 endings before deciding I wanted to dive into a different cyoa book.
August 24, 2017
Great for motivating young readers to "re-read" books.
May 20, 2018
Nathan enjoyed this adventure about a robot named Gus. He followed along and went to Venus as well as choosing a different path to end up in an ice cream factory.
July 5, 2018
Review by P.H. : "[I disliked] that some of it ended quickly."
October 16, 2019
Read oct 14th-Oct 15th
Read
December 6, 2021I read this to Mom a few times and picked different adventures.
April 3, 2022
A lot of the options just didn't make sense and weren't very entertaining.
March 7, 2023
It’s very cool! You can choose your own adventure each time. We bought the book this weekend, and my kids have enjoyed reading it out loud, and I have enjoyed reading it myself.
April 1, 2025
If you have the opportunity, dump the robot-napper into the trash pile.
March 8, 2017
I decided to introduce my 4 1/2 year old to choose your own adventure books and this was our first foray into the series. He loved it! It's fun to read a book where you are the main character and you get to decide the direction of the book. We also got a pirate one but he just wants to read this one over and over again!
April 8, 2020
Better than expected, with one wonderfully disturbing ending (for this series geared towards younger readers) where the Robot King takes you apart...!
April 12, 2016
I bought this for my niece at the fantastical Terra Toys while on vacation in Austin, TX. That is one heck of a great store with all manner of wonderful toys and even a shelf full of Choose Your Own Adventure books!
This version of R.A. Montgomery's Your Very Own Robot is designed for young readers. The story is simplified from the original, the old b&w illustrations are updated with a Pixar colorfulness, and it's not as violent. No disassembling of children here, gosh darn it.
The story starts with you rebuilding a robot your dad had given up on. The robot is unpredictable at best. He might get you in trouble at school or fly you into outer space. Sure the reading level is low, but the fun is high! How about a sticky trip to an ice cream factory? Or a duel with pirates? This was a pure childlike joy of a good read!
Next I need to find a copy of...
...because robots that go cuckoo bananas sounds like a good time!
This version of R.A. Montgomery's Your Very Own Robot is designed for young readers. The story is simplified from the original, the old b&w illustrations are updated with a Pixar colorfulness, and it's not as violent. No disassembling of children here, gosh darn it.
The story starts with you rebuilding a robot your dad had given up on. The robot is unpredictable at best. He might get you in trouble at school or fly you into outer space. Sure the reading level is low, but the fun is high! How about a sticky trip to an ice cream factory? Or a duel with pirates? This was a pure childlike joy of a good read!
Next I need to find a copy of...
...because robots that go cuckoo bananas sounds like a good time!
April 26, 2012
Our oldest has been bringing home various You Choose books from her elementary school library. And now at our local library we've discovered some of the books from the original Choose Your Own Adventure series that I read when I was a child. I remember loving books like this in my childhood and I am excited that our girls are discovering them as well.
This is a CYOA book for young readers and it focuses on a robot that your scientist parents created and then tossed in the trash when it wouldn't work correctly. You fix it up and make it your own and the adventures follow. It's a fun story with colorful illustrations and we enjoyed reading it together, taking turns following different paths.
This is a CYOA book for young readers and it focuses on a robot that your scientist parents created and then tossed in the trash when it wouldn't work correctly. You fix it up and make it your own and the adventures follow. It's a fun story with colorful illustrations and we enjoyed reading it together, taking turns following different paths.
June 20, 2012
good so far
April 11, 2012
This book allows children to make choices of where the story goes. As you read, it asks you to make choices and based on those choices the story may change. This means every time you read the book it may be a different story. Although the concept is kind of neat because it's unique, the story itself isn't that engaging in my opinion. This book is a good example to demonstrate to children that as writers, the stories they make up can change as they write them.
July 15, 2012
In this book, there was a boy that had his Mom and Dad scientists, and every day they work with a robot. Only a few people want to build it. Lots of people want to have a robot, but only a few people get to have it. That's because robots are hard to make and they cause a lot of money. I didn't like this because you don't get to see some pages. -by Alexander
March 18, 2012
I really enjoyed this book for my 7 year old. We read it together and the story kept him interested enough to do it more than a couple time each time we read it. We purchased another one the next day but that's another review.
May 13, 2010
The plot-lines and language of this book are aimed more for children who need it read to them, rather than for children who can read.
October 1, 2010
I liked it because it was funny. Sometimes I had the same story but it was fun to read and get different stories about the robot.
February 12, 2016
My girls loved this! It was their first introduction to CYOA. My 3YO tired of it before we read every ending, but skipping over pages drove my 7YO crazy so she had to go back and read everything.
June 14, 2016
It was a great choose your own adventure book. My big sister and I read it and guess what? The robot dumped the garbage can on the teacher's desk. It was so funny!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 24, 2016
This was a blast from the past, and I'm looking forward to getting my kids hooked on Choose Your Own Adventure like I was when I was their age.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews