Spare Parts (Young Readers' Edition): The True Story of Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and an Impossible Dream

A riveting true story about dreams, dedication, and an amazing robot named Stinky, based on Joshua Davis' New York Times bestseller and now adapted for young readers by bestselling Mexican American author Reyna Grande.

In 2004, four undocumented Mexican teenagers arrived at the national underwater robotics championship at the University of California, Santa Barbara. No one had ever told Oscar, Cristian, Luis, or Lorenzo that they would amount to much--until two inspiring high school science teachers convinced the boys to enter the competition. Up against some of the best collegiate engineers in the country, this team of underdogs from Phoenix, Arizona, scraped together spare parts and a few small donations to astound not only the competition's judges but themselves, too.

Adapted by Reyna Grande--author of the acclaimed memoir The Distance Between Us about her experience as an undocumented child immigrant--this young readers' edition of Joshua Davis's New York Times bestseller showcases these students' ingenuity and courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Timely and empowering, Spare Parts is an accessible introduction to STEM, immigration, and the reality of the American Dream.

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
Published: 05/30/2023
Pages: 160
Weight: 0.6lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.60w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780374388614
Age: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 04/15/2023
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 06/01/2023 - Book Of Special Distinction

About the Author

Joshua Davis is the cofounder of Epic Magazine and longtime writer at Wired, where his work was nominated for a National Magazine Award for feature writing. He is an executive producer of the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series Little America, which tells stories of immigrants across the United States. He is also the author of The Underdog, a memoir about his experiences as an arm wrestler, backward runner, and matador. He lives in San Francisco with his family.

Reyna Grande is the author of several books, including the bestselling memoir The Distance Between Us, where she writes about her life before and after she arrived in the United States from Mexico as an undocumented child immigrant, and the much-anticipated sequel, A Dream Called Home. She also co-edited an anthology by and about undocumented Americans called Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings. Her books have been adopted as the common read selection by schools, colleges and cities across the country.