CLICK'D Series, Book 1

August 1, 2017
At a Girls Who Code-type camp, seventh-grader Allie Navarro develops a new social-connections game she calls "Click'd."After she releases the mostly untested game at school in the fall, it's an instant hit. Students all over campus are playing. Then Allie discovers that the game can accidentally release confidential information to other players. Entered in a teen coding competition at week's end, she's desperate to fix the bug, losing sight of the fact that the game has other unintended consequences as well. Classmate Nathan is also planning to compete. Less outgoing than Allie, he's made coding the focus of his life. He could use a friend, but Allie has always regarded him as competition, not a soul mate. Even after he helps her with her programming issues, she remains suspicious of him. She has to (believably) stumble and fall before she finally begins to gain some needed wisdom and maturity. Though Latinx heritage is hinted at in her name, it doesn't emerge beyond that. One of her coding friends is black; Nathan is white. Often the computer nerds in children's literature are male; depicting a competent female (who is also not a social pariah) is a welcome twist, joining a little boomlet of similar books. Genial Allie's disappointments are fully credible. Entertaining and engaging, this effort may especially appeal to computer-savvy young teens. (Fiction. 10-14)

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October 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-Allie Navarro has just returned from Code Girls summer camp where her app, Click'd, proved wildly successful. The platform pairs people who share common interests: it's perfect for those who are shy or otherwise uncertain about meeting new friends. Now all Allie has to do is present her app at the Games for Good competition where it could be picked up by a software development company. Eager to share her invention with her friends, Allie prematurely releases it at school where it takes off like a rocket. It begins to spread so quickly, even Allie is amazed. But soon she discovers a glitch in the program that could lead to the sharing of too much information. To fix the glitch, she enlists the help of her chief competition in the Games for Good program. But is he sincere about helping her or will he intentionally sabotage her app in order to win himself? Packed full of middle school drama-best friends, arch enemies, cliques, crushes, and sports-this novel will surely please its intended audience. Fast-paced and tech savvy, Allie's adventures may inspire readers to explore coding. Readers will find a well-written story that supports the premise of remaining true to friends and building strong relationships. VERDICT A well-balanced, motivating story that would complement a discussion about coding or serve as an introduction to coding as a possible career choice.-Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools

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