Worrybot
By Simon Packham
Published by UCLan Publishing

Josh is such a worrier. He worries about everything. School. Global warming. Sleepovers. But he knows something is really wrong when his mum and dad act strange. Stranger than normal. As soon as he learns they are moving to Brighton and he must start a fresh his worries quadruple! A new school with new teachers, new pupils, new everything! How will he cope? Will he cope?

So his anxiety hits an all time high and things are tough. Tougher than he ever thought so Worrybot is back in action. His homemade cardboard robot that was supposed to eat up his fears. But this is no match for a real life robot that he discovers in his new class at his new school.

And so the adventure starts and a new friendship is made - classmate Charlie joins lessons remotely. So Josh isn’t the only one with worries, fears and concerns.

This cleverly written story draws you in from the start, building the tension whilst providing the choices. But who will make the first move, take a chance and let their guard down?
Will the friendship blossom or will it freeze over?
A story for todays children who only think it’s happening to them.
Thank you Simon for giving us the story and the tools to say “it’s ok not to be ok”

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.
#Netgalley

Josh has learnt ways to cope with his worrying, but then he has to move schools. A page turner which handles issues with fun and a light touch.

I hadn't realised that if children weren't able to attend school in person, it was possible for them to be present in class through a robot. But a book by Lisa Thompson called 'The Small Things' introduced me to the concept a few months ago, and this is another story based on the same idea, and it's also brilliant! Aimed at readers aged 9+ it covers bullying, anxiety, moving schools, trying new things and friendship.

Josh is a worrier. He worries about everything. But he seems to be making progress with the coping strategies suggested to him by his teacher and his supportive parents.

But then Mum announces that she has got a new job and they all need to move to a new house and that means a new school for Josh.

Not all the other pupils are mean to Josh but he does find it hard to fit in. And he's surprised to find that there's a robot on the desk next to him!

This is Charlie who joins in the lessons remotely. They soon become friends and it seems that they might be able to help each other overcome their particular difficulties. But things are never that simple.

This is a great book which handles lots of themes with fun, positivity and sensitivity. A lovely story.

I am planning to use this text to inspire a library activity at some point soon and was lucky enough to be sent some promotional posters to use around school. As such, I really wanted to love the book and I did, mostly. I really enjoyed the idea and many of the characters, though as someone who has worked in UKS2 for many years, I still find a lot of the interactions between "bullies" and "victims" to be unrealistic and this was no different. In my experience, very few issues with behaviour are outright targeted malice, rather than anger and frustration with others caught in the crossfire. I really liked the way that the author addressed the protagonist's anxiety and the additional information included at the end of the text. I also felt that the title didn't really fit the whole of the story as the worrybot in question only really featured briefly near the start and as a nickname. The main robot to feature in the book wasn't ever referred to as this, though it would have worked and this felt a bit odd.

Lastly, I really struggled with the big reveal at the end as it just felt so improbable but I won't elaborate on this as I don't want to give anything away.

It may not sound like it but I did really enjoy reading this book, I just felt that a few little things didn't quite fit.

Josh is not happy when his parents tell him that they’re moving house because of mum’s new job which means he’ll need to start at a new school. Having previously suffered with anxiety, he doesn’t want to go through all that again.

He finds it hard to make friends in his new school, but can talk to Charlie, who has a learning robot in school. No one knows why Charlie doesn’t come to school but she can participate in lessons via the robot.

This story tackles the subject of anxiety and school refusal. It is a lovely story of acceptance and forgiveness. I would recommend it to any child or young person who is struggling in school.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Worrybot begins by introducing the main character Josh. The first thing I notice about the book is that it has a lot of dialogue which is very realistic and moves the story on at fast pace.

The story centres around friendship of Josh and Charlie. Charlie is a robot who is present in class but is controlled remotely by a child at home. There seems to be a mystery surrounding Charlie’s physical absence from school - the author keeps dropping tiny clues for why that might be here and there but we don’t find out the real answer till the very end. There also seem to be some similarities between Josh and Charlie - it’s what draws them closer together and helps each of them feel empowered in the end. The story has a happy ending.

It’s clear that the author is very familiar with classroom dynamics and the kind of issues that might be popping up in UKS2. He carefully guides and equips the anxious reader with some self help strategies mentioning some resources that can be drawn upon right at the end.

The book is suitable for ages 8+, it’s fun and engaging and may reassure children who tend to overthink and worry that they are not alone.

Great and relatable charecters who remind you of yourself or a friend. This book is well written and will provide comfort to kids going through a big change in their lives, I also love the techniques taught in the book on how to deal with anxiety.

Josh is a worrier, and the prospect of moving to a new town and a new school for his mum's dream job seems certain to reignite his worst fears. He still has his cardboard "worrybot" which was supposed to eat his worries when a crisis occurred in the past, but he is surprised to find that there is a real learning robot in his classroom so that Charlie, who doesn't come to school, can learn from home. Resistant at first, Josh becomes friends with Charlie, as they work on a project together which will culminate in a performance... Well drawn credible characters, warm family relationships and elements of suspense combine in a totally engrossing novel with situations young readers will be able to relate to. A great book and a must for any school library.

This fast-paced, a good page turner and the short chapters make this book really accessible even for reluctant readers. Covering a wide range of themes (including bullying, anxiety, mental health, new starts and being a school refuser), this book support but educate kids. This is a canny little book.

With such a focus on wellbeing the anxiety reducing tips and breathing techniques are really valuable for younger readers. My 9 year old, Josh meets a bully from his old school, but in robot form, and they become friends. But when the drama play comes up, Charlie comes to school in persom- revealing her true identity.....

When you're an already filled with dread about what might happen tomorrow as well as in the future the last thing Josh needs a big move away from everything he already knows - although it may mean he can put his demons from the past to rest...

A beautifully written book, with every character carefully crafted to be just like 'someone', whether you can see yourself in them, or someone from the classroom they jump from the page and manifest their being in your head.

When Josh is inivted to befriend Charlie, a tentative friendship is formed - Josh hopes he can help Charlie overcome whatever is holding them back from being in the classroom, and we see Charlie encouraging Josh to take steps to make friends in his new school, to step outside his comfort zone. Is Charlie all that they seem though? Are they hiding something? Could this be the friendship Josh needs or another catastrophe waiting to happen?

An ideal book to discuss feelings and friendships, as well as transition, whether it be due a to move or that big move up to secondary school - as a year 6 TA this is definately a book that would make an idea class read, and would open so many discussions with the pupils.

I wasn't totally sure whether I would enjoy this as I have anxiety and find stories about it to be rather hit or miss as some rely far too heavily on cliches and stereotypes. This, however, was just amazing, I started reading it immediately after downloading it and could not put it down. Plus, I was in happy tears by the end of it.

Josh's anxiety felt so real to me, the way it takes control and the need to just keep getting 'better', the frustration at setbacks and finding things anxiety inducing. Having the story start with him moving school was great, children's stories always work really well when focusing on a change. I absolutely loved the tie-in with his worrybot coping mechanism and then making friends with an 'actual robot' in the form of his classmate, Charlie, a student who was coming to class online rather than in person. Especially as Charlie helped Josh make friends and integrate into his new class, even going so far as to encourage him into joining the drama club!

Speaking of Charlie, what a character! Just wow, she was so well crafted. I loved how the story builds up Lottie as a villain from Josh's past, a girl he was friends with who tore him down and set of his anxiety to new levels. A girl who's actions led to him throwing up in a school play as he forgot his lines. And then the slow reveal that Charlie, the girl who's become Josh's best-friend and is helping Josh, is Lottie! Absolutely sublime. Truly one of the best, most well-executed twists I've ever read. It was subtle, not something I really clicked on until Charlie came to Josh's for a sleepover and finally told him why she hadn't been at school in person. I think it was really incredible having two characters with mental health issues, especially ones based in anxiety, in a children's book as Charlie's absence was due to her being what's called a 'school refuser'. This is definitely a story I would love to give my younger self to show them that they're not alone in their feelings and experiences. The reveal that Charlie is Lottie coming when her meeting Josh in person on the night of the play was just brilliantly well done. Josh's reaction was so real and the tension, the slow build back up to being best friends just felt so honest.

I also really enjoyed the character of Norman. Crochety old men in kid's books usually turn out to be sweet and he was no exception. The little celebration for his sixty-eighth wedding anniversary was such a sweet final scene for the book. Willow and Dave were also really good characters; Willow was such a sweet, insightful younger sister. It was nice seeing a younger sibling being kind of protective of an older sibling.

Josh suffers from anxiety and following a bullying incident during a school play at his previous school and then moving home, he struggles to make new friends and settle into his new school . To make matters worse ( in his eyes) his dad- an actor- is famous for being the Tv commercial Toilet Monster for which he is teased and soon Josh is the victim of a new bully - Noah. To support him, Josh’s class teacher asks him to befriend a pupil who can’t attend school but is able to observe lessons and participate through a “ robot”. Charlie, the voice behind the robot , supports Josh giving him advice as to how to deal with Noah. Simon Packham’s descriptions of Josh emotions are palpable and as the book progresses the tension and emotions escalate. Josh’s sense of losing control again and the anxiety he feels in his new school are very emotional.The story leads to a point where Josh and Charlie are asked to take the lead roles in a school play- can they do it or will Josh and Charlie’s personal challenges prevent them from performing and overcoming their anxieties. This is a book with a big caring heart. A perfect read for any year 5/6 class as well as individual readers. The book is an ideal story to open up discussions about feelings. .Simon Packham’s Worrybot has that perfect balance of drama and humour and at never point feels like it is a contrived ‘issue ‘ driven story. Highly recommended and no spoiler but I didn’t guess the surprise twist

What a book; it made me laugh and cry and at one point my stomach felt like it was on a rollercoaster!

Both Charlie and Josh need some help and support, and luckily they find each other. Their story is an emotional journey and there's a great twist. It shows that people can change and that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. This story is about seeing more than what's presented to you and that its important to listen as we don't know what everyone is going through.