The Grabbem Getaway

Axel and BEAST #1

by Adrian C. Bott, Andy Isaac (Illustrator)

BEAST had a sad history. A greedy, evil company called Grabbem Industries had built him. He was supposed to be a superpowered suit of armor that would let young Gus Grabbem Junior help his father smash things up; but when BEAST found out that the things he was meant to be smashing up were things he loved, such as plants, animals and … well … most of nature, he decided to get out.” BEAST is no ordinary robot, and Axel isn’t your usual gamer. But are they awesome enough together to escape from BEAST’s evil creators? The Axel & Beast books are packed with super-cool tech, a diverse cast, a lightning-fast pace, and word art and energetic illustrations, along with exaggerated, over-the-top situations – and villains – to keep emerging readers glued to the page.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Science Fiction, Adventure

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2017

Reviews

[Impishfae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. So well written and full of great language to capture the imagination.

My kids (6 and 8) loved every word. My daughter was thrilled that the girls/women in the book were kicking butt and taking names. My son clearly now wants a robot of his own (thanks for that impossible Christmas Wishlist item!).

I um may have read an extra chapter each night because I wanted to also find out what happens next.

Winner all around!

[Jeanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son struggles with reading. We read this book together and he really enjoyed it. He maintained interest throughout the whole story and even asked for the next book in the series.

[Sawyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

good story. great for a quick read.

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I'm aware that I, a grown adult, have read and am reviewing a kids' book. No, I don't care. I'm a sucker for robots, and the Axel and Beast series looks like a fun robot-oriented series. And the first book didn't disappoint me -- it's funny, has quite a bit of action, and features a likable protagonist and an unexpectedly adorable robot.

Axel's preferred method of looking for adventure is playing video games... so he's unprepared for a six-foot-tall robot named BEAST to break into the house! BEAST may look threatening, but he's actually quite gentle... and so when he learned he was designed by the notorious Grabbem Industries as a means to destroy things, he fled. Now the greedy son of Grabbem's CEO wants BEAST back... and Axel will need to use every skill he ever picked up from gaming to pilot BEAST, unlock his abilities, and save both him and his home from destruction!

Kids will get a kick out of this book, especially kids who enjoy robots, video games, or both. It has fun illustrations, bolds certain words for emphasis, and delights in slapstick humor and over-the-top villains. It's not a masterpiece of writing, but it's entertaining, and it will hold onto young readers' attention until the very end.

Lest it seem like I'm condemning this book with faint praise, however... as an adult, I highly enjoyed this book as well. It's fun, lighthearted, and has great characters. BEAST is both adorable and awesome, and Alex is a resourceful and bighearted kid with more depth to him than you'd expect. And while it could have been really easy for this book to be preachy about its themes (environmentalism, the dangers of big unchecked corporations, etc.), it manages to make them clear without hitting the reader over the head with them.

Younger readers are sure to enjoy this series, which contains plenty of action, humor, and one of the most adorable robot characters in recent memory. Great for kids who loved "Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot" and are looking for something similar.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5🌟 rounded to 4🌟

My 5 year old son really loved this book (I do have to mention, it is intended for older readers, I would say 8+). But my son loves robots and saw that we were giving his cousin a copy of the book for Christmas and requested that we get it as well.

I read it aloud to both kids and my son had much more interest in it than my daughter (again, ROBOTS - especially since it is a robot that transforms into other things). I did change some of the language while reading because I think there were a few words like "stupid" "kill" etc. that I don't like to use. I, personally, love the main character and how he is a champion of the weak and picked upon (especially since he was bullied himself) and how he tries to see the good in everyone. This can lead to great conversations.

Not really my favorite genre, but as soon as we finished my son asked if we could get the next book, so obviously he loved it!

[Rhyllis Bignell · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happens when a giant shape-shifting robot BEAST crash-lands in Axel's garage? Twelve-year old gamer Axel's life changes dramatically. One minute, he is battling BAGGER_63 in the Tankinator Arena using his skill, stealth and knowledge and the next he is off on an amazing action-adventure with his new friend BEAST. The young gamer lives with his single mother Nedra a motor mechanic, she home schools Axel because of the bullying he suffered previously. When Axel, Nedra and BEAST sit down to discuss the robot's fate, a holographic projection - a 3D image of Agent Omega appears on the robot's chest. With his wise guidance and some technological transformations, Axel and BEAST are ready to fight the enemy. Themes of having a go, standing up to bullying, courage, resourcefulness, friendship and loyalty are included in this action-packed chapter book just right for tech-savvy readers.

[Kaitlin Lafavour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with my 3rd grader. He wasn’t sure about it at first (we’re in the stage of always wanting the familiar when it comes to books still). After the first two chapters he didn’t want to stop. After we finished this book, he hopped up, quickly ran to his bookshelf and said “I think I have book 2! Yay! I do!” Guess I know which book he’ll pick out next time.

This book hooks ya in great in a way that it gets little kids who are way into video games wanting to never stop reading. It’s detailed and really helps them picture what they are reading without having pictures all over but still have enough photos scattered throughout.

[Heidi Selas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun, fast-paced book that's perfect for gamers and outcasts. The main character is a 12 year old victim of bullying that has lead to being homeschooled. Video games are his favorite hobby. His mom is a mechanic.

BEAST shows up and shakes up their world! I feel like BEAST will become his best friend throughout this series. In this book, they build trust by fighting a shared enemy. I love their dynamic.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute book. I read this to my kids. I was told if your kids like Minecraft, then they would like this. My oldest threw the book on the floor when I first showed it to him, not typical behaviour for him. He said. "That book is stupid!" before he read any of it. Now he asks me to read the series every single night. Must be good.

[Aslinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son loved it. He is not a fan of chapter books, but this one has so much action, video games, robots, spy tactics and explosions that he never wanted me to stop reading. The text is broken up by font variations, bold words, and the occasional picture making it more visually enticing and easier to read.

[Parent · Rating 2 out of 5]

My kids have been enjoying the series, but I was disappointed to learn that in book 4 the robot Beast actually turns out to be a homosexual robot. Yep. I was nauseated by the environmental premise of the evil corporation potentially blowing up a coral reef with a nuke, but this is just so sad and desperate. Is it really the purpose of fiction to instill a pseudo-morality?

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Video playing kid teams up with escapee robot to thwart bad guys in first of a series of action adventure fantasy light books. OK but nothing to get overly excited about, the characters are certainly two dimensional in this one.

[Kiera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this with my 7yr old. He loved it! This book gave him reading bug! He wanted to start reading all sorts of things after it. It's fun, adventurous, definitely appeals to gamer kids. There is humor and it's just a good time.

[Keren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felix (7) gives this book five stars. "It was just fun to listen to!" He really liked it when Beast fights the Grabbem Industries heir. He says that Axel should always win in video games against the rich heir of Grabbem Industries, but Felix acknowledges that "money is power."

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my boys (11 and 8). The oldest has already read this series and enjoyed it. We all liked it. It was quick and easy. Some humor, some action, etc. it's pretty good for a really basic chapter book.

[Jane Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, quick chapter book.

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not really a sci-fi person, so I’m not the target audience. This is a book for reluctant readers ages 8-11 who like video games, action movies, and robots/transformers.

[Isaac Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

We bought this book for Gabriel today at the library...he read the whole thing!

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6 year old love it.

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a great book

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for kids. I was able to read it to my son very quickly and he paid attention and stayed engaged.

[Jess | dapper.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredibly cute book for kids. It dives into lots of things like video games and programming. It’s almost like a superhero book and held my sons attention very well.

[Erin Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 4th grade boys (age 10) ADORED this book and series! It’s an action-packed, quick read. Especially fun for gamers!

[Natalie [genreneutralreader] · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 9-yr old son loved this book and immediately wanted to read the next in the series. Any book that makes my kids WANT to read is a win in my book.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars because my 6 and 8 year olds liked it. Otherwise a fine, quick read - not a classic.

[Patience Cruise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story to read with my 7 and 9 year old. They were engaged and entertained and could read it on their own as well

[Mushtaque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

[Hannah Willson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My reluctant reader LOVES these books!

[Sarah's Reading Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids love this series! I'm now reading it with my youngest son and the others want to listen in. We've read it probably 5-6 times since it came out.

[Rachel Weise]

My son wanted me to read this book and I will say that it is a great book for a kid who enjoys robots and video games. No bad language aside from the word "loser" coming from the undisciplined kid.