Coding in Transportation

November 1, 2018

Gr 1-3-Young readers may be aware of the many ways computers impact their lives, but this set illuminates how coding makes these tasks possible. Each volume contains three short chapters-a general overview, a brief history, and a "how-it-works" example-that use easy-to-understand vocabulary but do not shy away from including the names of specific programming languages and terms that readers might not be familiar with. These words appear in bold and are concisely defined in the accompanying glossary, which is in line with the series' use of simple sentence structures to convey information. Abundant photos support the text and will be especially appealing to visual learners. VERDICT An excellent introductory series that could spark continued interest in computer programming, app development, and other code-based pursuits.

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2018
Grades 1-3 You may not realize how many things rely on code to run these days, and vehicles are no exception. Cars are the stars of this level-2 reader, part of the Coding Is Everywhere series (6 titles), which reveals that most modern cars contain more than 24 computers. These computers control things like antilock brakes, the radio, and GPS, but this wasn't always the case. A quick history of autos?with appropriately identified photos?shows how technology has advanced over the decades, from airbags to self-parking cars. The colorful, roomy layout includes a large photo or graphic on every page and a few lines of text with glossary-defined words in bold. The point of this book is not to teach coding, but rather to expand readers' awareness of how coding fits in their lives.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)