CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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Oasis
CCBC Review:
A speculative graphic novel explores the positive human qualities of artificially intelligent robots. JieJie (in Mandarin, “older sister”) and DiDi (“younger brother”) live without parents in a sand-covered, post-apocalyptic wasteland. Their mother lives and works in glass-domed Oasis City, “a paradise with the purest water and air,” trying to save enough to move her children there, too. While collecting water one day, the siblings chase a fox into a restricted area filled with mountains of trash from Oasis City. There they find a discarded robot, which they take home, repair, and activate. “Please state your wish,” it says. DiDi wishes for a mother, and so the robot activates “mother mode.” From then on, “AI Mom” not only meets the children’s basic needs but also provides them with moments of pleasure in their otherwise dismal, difficult lives: stories, dance lessons, and movies projected from her head onto the wall. The siblings give her one of their mother’s dresses and grow to love her. But when they miss a call from Mom, she returns home to check on them—and violent conflict erupts when she realizes that AI Mom has been residing with her children. When the conflict is resolved and the children’s needs are prioritized, AI Mom shares her plans to grow food with Mom. “Maybe we can live without money someday.” With sparse text and soft, black-and-white illustrations, this thought-provoking story may inspire discussions on AI, parenthood, and the future. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Guojing
CCBC Age Recommendation: 7-12
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Graphic Novel
Subjects:
Artificial Intelligence/AI
Chinese and Chinese Americans
Economic Hardship and Poverty
Families
Mothers
Siblings
Speculative Fiction
Technology and Engineering
Diversity subject:
Asian
On CCBC Booklist:
Speculative and Science Fiction for Children and Teens
Publishers:
Godwin Books, Henry Holt, Macmillan
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 151
ISBN: 9781250818386
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 741.5 Guojing
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.