ROVER’S STORY
Grades 4 and Up
Jasmine Warga
Balzer + Bray, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06311-392-3
320 pp.
Summary
Meet Resilience - Res for short - a Mars Rover. His designers, including Middle Eastern
roboticist Rania, don’t realize that there’s more to Res than expected: he experiences emotions,
appreciates music, makes friends with other robots, and most importantly, decides the fate of his
own mission. The story is told through journal-like entries and letters to Res from Rania’s
daughter, Sophie. Be prepared to fall in love with this hilarious and sweet Rover, and his
sidekick, the helicopter drone Fly.
Curriculum Connections
Themes: space & astronomy, letter writing, robotics, coding.
See this (multi-book) Teaching Guide for middle-grade readers from HarperCollins.
Science
Make a simple robot.
From NASA, see this Mars 2020 Mission Overview.
See the National Geographic documentary Curiosity: The Life of a Mars Rover (47 minutes).
What’s in a Mars Rover? Find out here.
Discussion Questions
Sophie, Rania’s daughter, is in constant communication with Resilience through her letters. From Sophie’s letters, what evidence can we glean about Rania’s relationship with her daughter? Do Sophie’s letters change as she gets older?
Res spends a lot of time recording noises from the cave and trying to determine what they are. What do you think is making the sounds? Do we ever find out for certain?
Res develops emotions that sometimes cause him to ignore commands from NASA - and also cause him to experience joy and sadness. Is it really possible for robots to have emotions? What emotions did you experience when reading this book?
Journey often says “Beeps and boops,” after which Res creates his own phrase, “Zappedty zip.” Make up your own saying that represents frustration or excitement.
Why do you think the author included Rania’s illness as a part of the story? Did you worry that she wouldn’t survive?
Author Online
Jasmine Warga lives in the Chicago area with her family and a house full of books – and loves neighborhood walks, buttery popcorn, and flowering trees. She teaches in the MFA program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. From the Washington Post, see this account of A Rover’s Story, and read a Q&A with Jasmine Warga on the We Need Diverse Books website.
Companion Books
Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover
Markus Motum (Candlewick, 2018)
A fact-filled picture book told in the voice of the Mars rover Curiosity, illustrated with bright retro-style art.
Packing for Mars for Kids
Mary Roach (Norton Young Readers, 2022)
Everything you ever wanted to know about a trip to the Red Planet, from eating space food to how to go to the bathroom.
The Lion of Mars
Jennifer L. Holm (Yearling, 2022)
Eleven-year-old Bell has spent his entire life on Mars – but wonders why the US colony has no contact with the other Mars colonies. Then a virus affects all the adults and it’s up to the kids to band together – and possibly unite the planet.
The Wild Robot
Peter Brown (Little, Brown, 2020)
When Roz (ROZZUM unit 7134) is washed up on an island after a shipwreck, she has to learn to survive in her new surroundings and with its inhabitants.
Last Day on Mars
Kevin Emerson (Walden Pond Press, 2018)
The year is 2213, the Earth is burned to a cinder, and the human survivors on Mars are preparing for a journey to a distant star. Liam and Phoebe are scheduled to be on the last starliner leaving the planet – until they discover the body of a dead alien and there’s a sudden explosion.
Team Moon
Catherine Thimmesh (Clarion, 2015)
Subtitled “How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon,” this is the fascinating account of what it takes to launch a space mission.
The Mighty Mars Rovers
Elizabeth Rusch (Clarion, 2017)
The stories of the rovers Spirit and Opportunity, illustrated with photographs.