A Short Book Review on "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga is a wonderful read, filled with emotion, strong characters, and one of my favourite themes- space exploration! Warga is a gifted writer and is able to weave a perfect blend of fact and fiction. This middle-grade novel has earned many honours and awards, and was quickly a New York Times Bestseller. 

A Rover’s Story is a tale about a rover’s mission to Mars. However, this rover, unlike other rovers, is able to feel, experience, and question, which leads to a thought-provoking journey for him and his team. Named Resilience, he feels as though he must measure up to the expectations of not only his name, but the expectations of those who created him. This places a great deal of pressure onto a machine who was never supposed to feel at all. Sophia, a middle-schooler and daughter of Resilience’s main coder, writes letters to the rover throughout the novel. Sophia takes the reader on an emotional journey as she connects with Resilience through brief glimpses into her ever-changing life.

Recommended Age Group?

The publisher’s recommended age group is 8-12. I agree with this age range. 

Many themes help to make this novel one that stays with the reader for a long

time, including: love, friendship, perseverance, bravery, and fear. As Resilience, the Mars rover, begins to understand the emotions of love and friendship, Sophia takes the reader on a coming-of-age journey. While the reader only gets snippets of Sophia’s story, her letters to Resilience offer so many revelations. She starts writing to Resilience at age 12 and continues to write well into her young adulthood. Students will be able to connect not only to Sophia’s journey, but also to Resilence’s incredible journey to Mars. 

Resilience has many talents, but one that rises above the others is his ability to question. He wonders about life, emotions, love, and friendship. He wonders about his purpose in life and if he’s done enough. It is so easy to connect with Resilience, as everything he ponders is what a human ponders too. This is what makes Resilience so special. Even the machines around him can tell that he is different. Resilience also recognizes this uniqueness, and because he’s a curious rover, wonders about his place in this world, like so many of us can relate to. 

The themes in this novel are perfect for the intended age group. There isn’t anything overly dark, scary, or worrisome. However, one plot point to consider is that Sophia's mother becomes quite ill. This is difficult for Sophia to process. Although Sophia's sadness can be felt, Warga writes in such a way that readers are left wondering and relating, rather than sobbing and reaching for the tissues. While Mars is a treacherous place where Resilience experiences many new emotions, including trying to understand death (in the form of machines), nothing is too scary or intense for younger readers.

Classroom Approved?

This book is classroom-approved, best suited for grades 4-7, but can be taught as young as grade 3. The thing I love about middle-grade fiction is that it works for such a large age range.

Your students will relate to so much of the novel, and will enjoy getting to follow Resilience’s journey to Mars. They’ll also love the facts mixed into the pages. It’s likely that this novel will ignite a desire to learn more about space travel and Mars, specifically. Due to the blended fact/fiction nature of this novel, there are many potential extension options for interested students. Students can delve into the world of space and NASA, learning about past rovers, Mars' terrain and current findings, and how space machines are created.

A Rover’s Story is a best seller for a reason, and I wouldn't hesitate to choose this novel as a class read aloud. 

Check out our No-Prep Novel Study for Warga's A Rover's Story!