Secret Coders Vol. 4 - Robots & Repeatsby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 Dr. One-Zero has added "advanced chemistry" to the school's curriculum, where all they do is create Green Pop. The Coders find Professor Bee and meet the Turtle of Light. The Coders find a clue that might lead them to Hopper's dad, but Eni's family intervenes ....Another excellent book. I love that while this book's story and programming are aimed at younger readers, an adult like myself gets good mileage out of both! I'm invested in the story. I want to know how the Coders will use the Turtle of Light to stop Dr. One-Zero, and what Dr. One-Zero wants with the Turtle of Light, especially after seeing why it has that name and why it's the most powerful turtle. I love getting to know the characters further through family aspects. This volume show three different dynamics when Eni's sisters turn the Coders into the principal (Dr. One-Zero), causing a meeting with their parents; two of these are rather painful to see, probably because they are unfortunately realistic. The changes Dr. One-Zero makes to the curriculum are completely unrealistic -- a principal doesn't have that kind of authority -- but this story took a turn for the weird during this volume with a partial reveal as to where Professor Bee and his turtles are from. I think I preferred him just being an eccentric genius, but we'll see where things go. Along with enjoying the story, I'm learning a lot about coding. It's easy to understand, and the examples are well-complemented by the visuals. In this volume we build on having learned about repeats to nesting repeats. We also learn how to convert binary to numbers and then to letters, or the reverse of ASCII. I like how certain chapters pause at the end to give the reader a chance to figure out the code before revealing the answer in the opening of the next chapter; I felt confident in my ability to do that (simple as it was) based on what I've learned entirely from this book series. The volume ends on quite the cliffhanger, setting the stage for a coding action scene with the Turtle of Light and an army of new robotic foes! Written: August 6, 2017
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