I am not putting spoiler tags on this book from 1968, but if you don't want to know some plot points of "The Iron Giant," avert your eyes!

I definitely allow nostalgia to guide some of my reading choices, and I remember really liking the movie "The Iron Giant” when I was younger. Now that I've read the source material, I'm baffled because the Iron Giant and the little boy barely interact at all. The cover of this book is a lie! Instead, the little boy helps trap the Iron Giant in an earthen pit because he won't stop eating all of the farmers' equipment and fences! Where are the friendship adventures?!

Then in another chapter, I kid you not, a space-bat-angel-dragon is hatched out of a star, flies down to earth, and the Iron Giant battles him. Is this cool? Of course. But also completely unexpected! I think my problem was expecting giant robot and boy friendship adventures and instead I got boy betraying the robot into a pit and then an alien invasion of sorts.

To enjoy this book, you must go into it not thinking about the movie. You must say to yourself, this is a children's book with a similar title and a large robot, but that is all.

I give "The Iron Giant" 3 out of 5 robots, which is my official, patented sci-fi rating system.