Book Review
J. E. Thomas does it again with heartfelt and humorous stories for middle graders with The AI Incident. Having read and enjoyed Control Freaks, I knew I was in for a treat, and the author did not disappoint. I cared about the characters, and rooted for Malcom and Mrs. Bettye in particular. The author offers insight into the foster care system and how a school with limited resources might struggle. Plus, the story explores how the education system might utilize and adapt to artificial intelligence, benefits and cautions abound.
Readers and parents with middle schools will undoubtedly enjoy the life lessons and fun characters in The AI Incident. I was also so excited to chat with J. E. Thomas again for the Cantina Book Club Podcast! Keep an ear out for the episode! Cheers!
Book Summary
The Wild Robot meets Restart when Colorado’s unluckiest foster kid battles a rogue AI robot at school.
Malcolm Montgomery is the new kid at Shirley Chisholm Charter Middle School. In no time at all, he’s been slapped with the weird kid label. Is it because he’s a foster kid who’s been in nine homes? Or maybe because he burps when he gets nervous…which is often? Malcolm has a plan to finally get adopted by a forever family before it’s too late. But then on Visiting Professionals’ Day, his school invites Dr. Alphonse Hatch, president of Hatch-ED—one of the fastest-growing artificial intelligence companies in the state—to give a presentation. Dr. Hatch brings his AI-powered robot, and events get set in motion that create…THE INCIDENT.
An irresistible MG novel about the role of AI in schools and in our lives… and what it means to be human.
