O’Brien, Cynthia. Could AI Develop Emotions? Searchlight Books: What-If Science. Lerner, 01/2026. 32pp. Nonfiction. PLB $31.99. 979-8-7656-8899-1. Paper $10.99. 979-8-3480-2919-7. GRADES 4–6. ADDITIONAL.
SERIES REVIEW: What-If Science titles explore some of the science fiction-like questions that children may be curious about. Each title explores why the topic comes up and what it might mean if it were to be possible, all while looking at what is known about the title’s subject. Series subjects include: time travel, tornado taming, using power from black holes, bringing dinosaurs to life, living forever, and AI emotions. While this reviewer only read three of the titles, each is informative, thought-provoking, engaging, and full of color photographs or digital illustrations. Useful for libraries looking to enhance collections with thoughtful titles on these what-if topics.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library