Brian Curtis

The Robot Graveyard Brian Curtis

MACHINE AGE: THE ROBOT GRAVEYARD is a futuristic thriller for middle-grade readers, set in a dark and dangerous Washington DC in the year 2028. Twelve-year-old Jane and her parents are just trying to get by in an age where robot workers have taken over so many jobs that normal people struggle every day just to survive... and where the rich and the poor alike live in constant fear of a vicious gang of subhumans known as insombians. Although insombians normally prey on kids Jane's age, the Walsh family is torn apart when Jane's mother disappears in an apparent insombian attack. Jane hates to let any puzzle go unsolved, especially one that's so important, so her first instinct is to find out herself what happened to her mom. But Jane's dad has other ideas. His only concern is to keep Jane safe. That's why he comes home one day with a secondhand robotic nanny that he found on the black market. Jane's nanny robot is called MARY, and when the nannybot starts acting suspiciously, Jane suddenly finds herself with a new puzzle to solve. MACHINE AGE: THE ROBOT GRAVEYARD is the first in a three-part series that follows the adventures of Jane and her best friend Robbie as they try to unravel the mystery of Jane's enigmatic new nannybot. Along the way, they experience the trials and joys of their final year at Rice Underschool: giving bullies their comeuppance, competing on the varsity crossword team against their rich Overschool rivals, studying Early 21st Century History... even trying to figure out the difference between friendship and love. But these struggles and triumphs all happen under the shadow of a sinister conspiracy that is unfolding all around them. As Jane and Robbie discover more about MARY's mysterious past, they are pulled deeper into a web of secrets involving insombians, the US president, and what really happened to Jane's mom. And as they get closer to the truth, the puzzle becomes trickier, and the solution more dangerous.