In the Key of Code

A whole new genre has just been opened up, one which teaches that Girls can code too! I am very excited about this book. Not only does it have a beautifully crafted story, but it does through the means of the language of coding. I have learnt so much about coding through this story and I am very excited to share it with my colleagues. In the Key of Code tells the story of Emmy, a 12-year-old girl who has moved to a new area in America and left all of her friends behind. Emmy's parents are both musicians - her mother a talented Opera singer and her father a concert Pianist. Emmy, however, does not have any musical talent and, despite feeling a musical beat in her soul, Emmy feels completely out of tune. That is, until she signs up for Computer Coding as a module at School. Slowly, Emmy begins to make friends with Abigail, another unlikely coder, and the two begin finding their own voices through the computer programming language of Java. As Emmy gains confidence, her teacher become very unwell and Emmy must learn to develop her skills, learning to think in code. In her triumphant return to the stage, Emmy finally does not feel out of tune, but feels like a musician in the world's most beautiful symphony. Extraordinarily crafted, this book in unlike anything I have read for a long time. Emmy's tale is told though the computer coding script of Java language and it is all intertwined beautifully to share this story of love, friendship and breaking down barriers. I think one of the most important messages for this story is the breaking down of stereotypes - the concepts that GIRLS can code too! Girls can use computers. Girls can! I even managed to impress my husband with my knowledge of coding. I have lent this story to a 13-year-old girl in my class, who had been excited to tell me about the coding she is learning in her ICT lesson; so I knew the perfect story for her to read. We have loved reading this story and I hope many girls will be inspired by it. 416 pages / Ages 12+ / Reviewed by Joanna Hewish, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 11+