- Chapter Books
- Ages 8–12
- Science Fiction
SCRAP: The Good, the Bad and the Rusty
A lively second SCRAP adventure with more robot mayhem, comic danger, and rusty underdog heroics. It is best as a continuation for readers who already enjoyed the first book's humour and sci-fi setup.
- Best for8–12
- FormatChapter
- Length336 pp
- Read aloud~4 hr45 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Adventurous
- Exciting
- Heartwarming
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
SCRAP returns for another adventure full of rust, robots, danger, and ridiculous machine-world chaos. The title's western-film joke points to a story with bigger confrontations and more comic swagger, but the heart remains the same: an unlikely robot hero trying to make sense of friendship, bravery, and what it means to be more than the parts you were built from. Guy Bass keeps the pace brisk and joke-friendly, while Alessia Trunfio's illustrations give readers visual anchors throughout the action. The Good, the Bad and the Rusty is a useful next read for children who want funny science fiction without the heaviness of dystopia, and for readers who like mechanical worlds, inventive danger, and heroes who are a bit battered but still full of spirit.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 7–11
- Independent · 8–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Moderate
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Robot story
- Funny sci fi
- Series continuation
- Underdog hero
- Illustrated adventure
Avoid if
- Has not read book one
- Wants realistic school story
- Prefers soft bedtime
- Needs picture heavy format
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Low self esteem
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A funny, heartfelt robot-adventure series — a great reluctant-reader pick about friendship and belonging.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is the western swagger — SCRAP back for bigger confrontations, rust and robots and machine-world chaos, the underdog-hero rhythm intact under the comedy. The second SCRAP for the reader who liked the first and wants more of the same.
- Proving yourself
- Secret skill
- Adventure and freedom
- The underdog winning
- Friendship and belonging
Why parents love it
The SCRAP sequel — title gag pointing to a western-pastiche shape, comic-friendly pace, Trunfio's illustrations anchoring the action. Useful for the reader who wants funny sci-fi without dystopian weight.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Conversation starter
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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