This is one of those books that is really rather important, covering heavy topics like bullying and anxiety with great mastery while maintaining a fun story. We follow Josh who struggles with anxiety and his emotional well-being after suffering at the hands of bullies. At school he's paired up with a student called Charlie, who attends school through a robot and coaches Josh through his worries as they become friends. There is plenty of quick and witty dialogue, which keeps the pace up. The story is a fantastic read with wonderfully relatable characters, a very unlikable villain and a twist I didn't see coming!

Josh suffers from anxiety and following a bullying incident during a school play at his previous school and then moving home, he struggles to make new friends and settle into his new school . To make matters worse ( in his eyes) his dad- an actor- is famous for being the Tv commercial Toilet Monster for which he is teased and soon Josh is the victim of a new bully - Noah. To support him, Josh’s class teacher asks him to befriend a pupil who can’t attend school but is able to observe lessons and participate through a “ robot”. Charlie, the voice behind the robot , supports Josh giving him advice as to how to deal with Noah. Simon Packham’s descriptions of Josh emotions are palpable and as the book progresses the tension and emotions escalate. Josh’s sense of losing control again and the anxiety he feels in his new school are very emotional.The story leads to a point where Josh and Charlie are asked to take the lead roles in a school play- can they do it or will Josh and Charlie’s personal challenges prevent them from performing and overcoming their anxieties. This is a book with a big caring heart. A perfect read for any year 5/6 class as well as individual readers. The book is an ideal story to open up discussions about feelings. .Simon Packham’s Worrybot has that perfect balance of drama and humour and at never point feels like it is a contrived ‘issue ‘ driven story. Highly recommended and no spoiler but I didn’t guess the surprise twist

Josh suffers from anxiety. After a spate of events – bullying in his old school and moving house; Josh starts a new school where his concerns of anxiety start to escalate with a new bully Noah. In addition to coping with Noah’s bullying, Josh is given the task of supporting a child who cannot attend school but observes lessons through Charlie ‘a robot’. No one knows why Charlie isn’t in school but through their friendship Charlie and Josh will discover an unexpected friendship that will help them both. A touching and rich story about coping with anxiety and change. Packham writes with a clear voice for his characters layering the emotional depth as Josh and Charlie try to understand and learn how to support each other and themselves. Richly woven and increasing tension as the stakes are raised for both characters, this is a book that will make you want to be more emphatic and kinder. I think this book is one anyone could enjoy and is a title I think libraries in schools should stock.

Worrybot By Simon Packham Published by UCLan Publishing Josh is such a worrier. He worries about everything. School. Global warming. Sleepovers. But he knows something is really wrong when his mum and dad act strange. Stranger than normal. As soon as he learns they are moving to Brighton and he must start a fresh his worries quadruple! A new school with new teachers, new pupils, new everything! How will he cope? Will he cope? So his anxiety hits an all time high and things are tough. Tougher than he ever thought so Worrybot is back in action. His homemade cardboard robot that was supposed to eat up his fears. But this is no match for a real life robot that he discovers in his new class at his new school. And so the adventure starts and a new friendship is made - classmate Charlie joins lessons remotely. So Josh isn’t the only one with worries, fears and concerns. This cleverly written story draws you in from the start, building the tension whilst providing the choices. But who will make the first move, take a chance and let their guard down? Will the friendship blossom or will it freeze over? A story for todays children who only think it’s happening to them. Thank you Simon for giving us the story and the tools to say “it’s ok not to be ok” Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature. #Netgalley