Sama Crushes the Code: A Graphic Novel
July 14, 2026 by MIT Kids Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Sama is worried about starting middle school, even though her best friend Nancy is excited about all of the opportunities for joining groups. Since her father is a coder, she has skimmed some of his books, but he tells her it is important to practice all of the small skills. She joins that tech club at school, even though she is wary of the president, Sid, but also meets a new neighbor, Zoe, across the street. They don't start off on the best foot, but after Sama repairs Zoe's hovercraft, she gets to meet Zoe's mother, who is a computer engineer for the Screamzone amusement park. Sid mentions that Sama should look into doing something BIG with coding, and when she sees that her brother's bus driver is stressed, she finds a way to optimize the route with the help of her father and Zoe's mother. Sid still isn't impressed; if Sama had done all the buses, that might be something different. Nancy and Sama haven't been spending as much time together, but when Sama uses the ByteBunnyz game she created to introduce her brother to coding as a way to raise money for the tech group, Nancy helps out and the two reconnect. Zoe joins the tech group, and Sama feels better about middle school, since she has two good friends and an activity she enjoys.
July 14, 2026 by MIT Kids Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Sama is worried about starting middle school, even though her best friend Nancy is excited about all of the opportunities for joining groups. Since her father is a coder, she has skimmed some of his books, but he tells her it is important to practice all of the small skills. She joins that tech club at school, even though she is wary of the president, Sid, but also meets a new neighbor, Zoe, across the street. They don't start off on the best foot, but after Sama repairs Zoe's hovercraft, she gets to meet Zoe's mother, who is a computer engineer for the Screamzone amusement park. Sid mentions that Sama should look into doing something BIG with coding, and when she sees that her brother's bus driver is stressed, she finds a way to optimize the route with the help of her father and Zoe's mother. Sid still isn't impressed; if Sama had done all the buses, that might be something different. Nancy and Sama haven't been spending as much time together, but when Sama uses the ByteBunnyz game she created to introduce her brother to coding as a way to raise money for the tech group, Nancy helps out and the two reconnect. Zoe joins the tech group, and Sama feels better about middle school, since she has two good friends and an activity she enjoys.
Strengths: "Kids doing things" is always a great premise for a middle grade book, and seeing kids involved in any STEM activities, especially coding, is always great. Middle school friendships evolve, and the portrayal of Sama and Nancy's different interests taking them away from each other was very realistic. Including Zoe, who shares coding interests with Sama, also makes sense, and it was heartwarming to see that the girls were all able to become friends. The dynamics of the tech club were also interesting, and even though Sid was slightly unpleasant, his disinterest inspires Sama to optimize all of the school buses in the district! I always appreciate supportive parents as well. There is a fair amount of coding information and vocabulary. I will definitely add this to my graphic novel collection.
Weaknesses: Even though I enjoyed this, the plot and character development fell a little short for me. Perhaps this was due to the graphic novel format, which never has enough details for me. The illustrations were fine; Alvarado seems to have a background in picture books, but did a great job with this format.
What I really think: There are never enough books about kids involved in computing, so this is a great choice for readers who enjoyed Yang's Secret Coders or Deutsch's Girls Who Code.
Weaknesses: Even though I enjoyed this, the plot and character development fell a little short for me. Perhaps this was due to the graphic novel format, which never has enough details for me. The illustrations were fine; Alvarado seems to have a background in picture books, but did a great job with this format.
What I really think: There are never enough books about kids involved in computing, so this is a great choice for readers who enjoyed Yang's Secret Coders or Deutsch's Girls Who Code.
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