Horn Book

The latest series entry (starting with Nixie Ness: Cooking Star, rev. 9/19) stars third-grader Lucy, who joins the after-school coding club hoping it will help her reconnect with her older sister, Elena. Lately Elena seems more interested in coding than doing the activities they used to enjoy together, but Elena finds Lucy’s new interest in coding a threat to her individuality. “‘I just can’t see computers being your thing,’ Elena said, ‘the way they’re my thing.’” The situation grows more complex when Lucy finds she really enjoys—and excels at—coding and must choose between pursuing this new interest or sacrificing it for her sister. As she interacts with her new club-mates (returning characters from previous books), she gains the courage to embrace what she enjoys, despite the awkwardness with her family. The story taps into the clarity and logic of computer programming as a tool to solve communication problems between humans. This title approaches a common sibling frustration, refreshingly from the less-represented viewpoint of the younger child. Spot art breaks up the text and expands the humor, and back matter provides resources to help those interested in coding find a place to start. JULIE ROACH