SPARE PARTS (YOUNG READERS' EDITION)

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.