The Friendship Code

Girls Who Code #1

by Stacia Deutsch, Reshma Saujani (Foreword)

A New York Times bestseller! Perfect for fans of The Babysitters Club and anyone interested in computer science, this series is published in partnership with the organization Girls Who Code.

Loops, variables, input/output - Lucy can't wait to get started with the new coding club at school. Finally, an after school activity that she's really interested in. But Lucy's excitement turns to disappointment when she's put into a work group with girls she barely knows. All she wanted to do was make an app that she believes will help someone very special to her.

Suddenly, Lucy begins to get cryptic coding messages and needs some help translating them. She soon discovers that coding - and friendship - takes time, dedication, and some laughs!

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Friendship, Coding, Audiobook

144 pages, Hardcover

First published August 22, 2017

About the author

#1 New York Times Best Selling Author, Stacia Deutsch has written more than 300 books.

In addition to her award-winning creative chapter book series entitled Blast to the Past, Stacia has also ghostwritten for a popular girls' mystery series, published non-fiction texts, and penned a young adult romantic comedy called In the Stars. She has also penned popular titles for Girls who Code Books 1 & 2 and several Spirit: Riding Free books.

Additionally, Stacia has written junior movie tie-in novelizations for summer blockbuster films, including HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA, the New York Times Best Seller: CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS JR. MOVIE NOVEL, and THE SMURFS MOVIE NOVELS.

Check out Stacia's website for more titles!

A bit more about me:
✥ Lives on a Ranch with 4 horses, 2 cats, 2 dogs and a lot of lizards
✥ Has an Masters in Fine Arts from Western State Colorado in Genre Fiction
✥ Was recently awarded a Doctor of Divinity honorary degree from Hebrew Union College
✥ Grew up in Denver, lived in Cincinnati, and now lives in California

Find her at www.staciadeutsch.com.
Email: staciadeutsch.writes@gmail.com
Twitter: @staciadeutsch, www.facebook/staciadeutsch, and www.instagram.com/staciadeutsch_writes/
Stacia lives in Temecula, California.

Reviews

[Susan Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. I feel it is directed towards middle school aged children and more towards girls. I thought this was a great way to add some computer knowledge and coding interest to girls that age. I thought it was well written and fun. The group of girls got to know each other and became friends or worked out misunderstandings to become friends again.

The characters were enjoyable and I loved the group of friends working out the notes that were left. They worked together well as a team and all got along. I think that fourth grade to middle school girls would love these. This was the first of three that I have and I will definitely read the next two.

Great find for kids!

[Marie the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES TO BOOKS LIKE THIS. I LOVE THIS! The empowerment of female friendships that are successful and working together and have eachothers backs! YES YES YES. ALSO CODING YASS.

[Katy O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the #kidlitexchange network for this review copy - all opinions are my own.

Sweet and definitely geared at upper-elementary rather than middle school due to the simplistic text, THE FRIENDSHIP CODE is obviously intended to be more than just a chapter book series. It is a "teaching" book disguised as a middle grade girly series, which is totally fine with me! The friendship angle is typical of this genre and the coding storyline is a great introduction to coding itself. With all that being said, the "teaching" nature of this book won't be overlooked by kids and in some settings may be best used as a whole class read aloud given how girl-oriented (by nature) the title and cover is, despite the universal message of coding. I would hate for my boys to miss the great message from the book! I will be purchasing this for my library and hope to use this as a 5th grade read aloud in my library classes as we dig back into our Code.org coding curriculum we left off with at the end of last year.

If you are looking for more gender-neutral series, the graphic format SECRET CODER books from Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes may be a good fit.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE FRIENDSHIP CODE by Stacia Deutsch is the first novel in a new series inspired by Girls Who Code for ages 8-12. Girls Who Code is a national non-profit organization aiming to close the gender gap in technology and Computer Science. The founder of Girls Who Code, Reshma Saujani, wrote a compelling foreword for THE FRIENDSHIP CODE that is bound to inspire young girls. Stacia Deutsch is a New York Times Bestselling Author who has written over 50 books for children. Deutsch has also written books for Nancy Drew, Clue Crew, and The Boxcar Children. Girls Who Code also has a nonfiction book for a slightly older audience called GIRLS WHO CODE: LEARN TO CODE AND CHANGE THE WORLD.

The foreword by Reshma Saujani offers the reader a compelling note from the woman who started it all. Saujani successfully communicated her desire and motivation to inspire girls to learn Computer Science. As a student of the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program, I can say that the mission means everything, and Reshma has truly created an excellent organization for girls. THE FRIENDSHIP CODE has unlimited potential to get girls to code, and Girl Who Code has decided to spread coding through books, and I know that this series is bound to be successful in that.

The first installment of the fictional series from Girls Who Code introduces the first set of characters and coding topics. The main character, Lucy, is eager to start coding real-life projects in her Coding Club, but that is not exactly going as planned. Lucy is curious about everything, and she is adamant about starting to code an app right away. She begins to realize coding may involve more than she thought. When she starts getting coded messages that she can’t figure out, she goes on an epic scavenger hunt that teaches her and her friends coding logic along the way.

I was shocked by how much Lucy reminded me of how I was in middle school. She is just one of those characters that I immediately identified with, and I know that tons of young girls could benefit from a curious, perceptive, and resourceful main character to look up to. Lucy is incredibly relatable and perfectly captures the insecurities, mindset, and maturity expected of a middle school girl. Lucy’s family is a highlight of the story, and her parents bend traditional gender roles. Her mother is the computer programmer, and her father is the artist, which I could not help but enjoy to see represented. Lucy’s older brother, Alex, reminded me a lot of real sibling interactions I have experienced, and it is exciting to have a genuine yet annoying sibling as a significant part of the story. Lucy’s friends Maya, Sophia, and Erin each brought different personalities, backgrounds, and skills to the friend group. Any girl who reads this story is going to find at least one of them to identify closely with.
THE FRIENDSHIP CODE teaches coding disguised as riddles and fun scavenger hunts, and I think that is an especially efficient way to make girls attracted to coding. This novel successfully and simultaneously teaches coding, tells a relatable story, and gets girls interested in what Computer Science has to offer. Readers will come away from this book introduced to coding syntax and some basic coding principles that are fundamental to all coding languages, which Girls Who Code programs teach as “Core 4”, including Conditionals, Loops, Functions, and Variables.

By the end of the story, adorable coding jokes are embedded in the dialogue, and the reader can understand them and know that they have learned something. Lucy seriously impressed me with the depth and possible application of her ideas. She cares about real life issues and creating something that could change the world. I think that Deutsch did an exceptional job incorporating everything that THE FRIENDSHIP CODE is trying to achieve, and I was very impressed with the novel overall.

I highly recommend THE FRIENDSHIP CODE to elementary and early middle school girls with no background in coding or even those with some coding knowledge. I believe this novel can make a change and encourage a new generation of female coders. The next book in the series, TEAM BFF: RACE TO THE FINISH!, will be for sale in December 2017, and I will definitely be picking it up. This series has serious potential to be a real change-maker for society.

[Shandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quickly read this one to see how the story and coding worked together, and was actually impressed. At least for this first book, the coding was explained well, and didn't seem like it would put anyone off. (I enjoyed Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang, but confess that I let some of the coding how-to go over my head, rather than try to figure it out.) This is a story about beginning coding, new friendship, old friendships, family and a mystery, and it is very well done. Also features a diverse cast of characters. Recommended.

[rozwood01 · Rating 3 out of 5]

4.5

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

A middle grade books similar to the Babysitters Club series about a group of middle schoolers who join a coding club at school. There's some minor friend drama but when they don't actually use the computer at the first meeting and learning seems to be going slowly, the main character, Lucy, is frustrated. She asks her older brother for help but he's too busy being a teenage butthead to bother. Her parents won't help either as they trust her teacher. When someone starts leaving mysterious notes in code in Lucy's locker, she's determined to figure them out. She must get help from some friends, old and new, to solve the mystery.

This was a fun book. I stayed away from it at first because STEM is not my thing and coding is not in my wheelhouse. However, it turns out I DO understand coding and I knew some of what they were talking about and it was kind of fun. The content in the story boosted my confidence. I don't think I have the patience to write a lot of code but I was happy to learn about how to do it. (I remember having to program the old Apple IIE to run a floppy disk and I've written HTML, XHTML and CSS).

I didn't care for Lucy all that much though. She was kind of irritating and so self-conscious. I appreciate that she wants to help her uncle, who has cancer and that she wants to be the first Black woman to win a Turing Award.

It would be nice if the book had more illustrations of girls doing the coding work instead of all text but other than that I enjoyed it.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy has joined the coding club at school so she can learn to build a app for her uncle who has cancer remember when to take his meds and which ones to take at certain times. But the club is moving to slow, she asked, begged, everyone she knows to help her learn faster, but everyone tells her the same thing, this is something you can not rush you need to learning it in steps and be meticulous. But then strange noted start showing up on Lucy's locker and in order to follow the direction she has to have the help of those around her, that means making new friends and reuniting with older ones, and finding strength she didn't know she had, not to mention finding help in hidden places.

This was a awesome book for introduction to coding, but there are different types of coding and while the foundation is solid it would be nice to know somewhere what language this is they are teaching. But I loved how the friendship came together over code and how they found to one important thing that really needed to be tackled and that is what they started to do at the end. But the clues along the way to teach the foundation and the awesome way they found to root out the mysterious note leaver was awesome this is such a cool book, and if you ask any one I am always a sucker for computer coding books anyways but this one is awesome I can't wait to see what the friend get up to next

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An early elementary chapter book about a middle school coding club. Each girl has a different reason for being there and a different family situation. I loved the variety and how the girls deal with those situations. When mysterious clues start turning up what or how will they solve them and what does it all have to do with coding? I know nothing about coding and was able to follow this well.

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter, 8, read this to me. I think it may be ahead of her in terms of language (it says it is for middle school), but in terms of programming concepts I think she understood it. Can't say it swung her over to being a computer programmer like her dear old abati, but she liked the book. I think it has a very good balance of coding vs. extroverted, social hierarchy, girl clique stuff in it, which definitely speaks to her in a way that her extreme introvert of a family can't.

[Hannah]

There are so many elementary school girls I would love to give this book to.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The diversity felt more pandery and marketing driven then natural, but all in all its a cute series that really sells coding well.

[Avery Ezell]

i loved it

learned a bit about coding

[Ancillar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a FUN INSPIRING READ! How I wish this book was around when I was growing up because it's so inspiring and amazing.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this before gifting it to my niece. This was an incredible beginner's book to spark interest and make coding relevant to a young girl.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a good early elementary book to introduce kids to basic coding concepts the Girls Who Code Book series is fantastic!

I just finished the first book and I really felt like I was learning coding concepts with the girls in the book. The author did a good job of explaining coding concepts like loops, conditionals, input/output in a way that made sense, but wasn’t belittling to child readers.

I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

[Meaningful Madness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network for this review copy of Girls Who Code Book #1: The Friendship Code. All opinions are my own.

Lucy is a middle school student who is desperate to learn to code so that she can create an app that will help her sick uncle. She joins the school coding club, but is soon disappointed when after the first meeting members have not even touched a computer. Dissatisfied, Lucy complains to her parents and old brother, Alex, who advise patience. Dissatisfied once again, Lucy decides to try her hand and teaching herself to code. That is, until mysterious notes begin showing up on her locker written in code. She enlists help from her friends to figure out what the notes mean and who could be writing them. Is it Alex? A friend? Who could it be?

Girls Who Code Book #1:The Friendship Code is a mild, straightforward story with the ultimate goal of introducing young girls to coding. The characters are likable and the friendships presented in the book are standard fare for this genre.

This book would be an excellent choice for educators who are interested in introducing coding in a unique way. Definitions and coding jargon are explained in a way that will resonate with young readers. I especially appreciate the “real-life” examples that were used within the book to explain coding in an accessible way. For example, in one scene Lucy and her friend, Erin, complete an activity in which Erin is blindfolded and Lucy has to guide her through an obstacle course using only spoken directions highlighting the importance of being clear and thorough when coding.

One caveat–on Amazon.com, the grade recommendations for this are third through seventh. Girls Who Code is definitely geared toward younger readers. Third and Fourth grade seem like a better fit for this book than middle school students. The simplicity of the plot and the lack of conflict make it better suited for upper elementary than middle. I would not use this book for middle school students.

Bottom Line: A great introduction to coding for younger readers and for educators who are searching for an approachable way to present an introduction to coding for young girls.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I feel like I start about half my audiobook reviews with “I picked this up on a whim even though it’s not really my thing,” and I guess I’m going to keep doing that, because I picked The Friendship Code up on a whim even thought it’s not really my thing. It’s okay for the intended audience and its intended goal, but it’s less a novel than an educational tool. You know how there are novels that teach SAT words? This is kind of like that, only with coding.

The story’s rather silly, and the resolution of the plot is incredibly obvious from the beginning, though the girls don’t figure it out. This might not be the case for younger readers who haven’t read as much. Narratively, though, this story wasn’t particularly impressive, and there’s no reason middle grade can’t be impressive. However, it does teach the most basic elements of coding and some principles that apply to it. So, considering that this is the goal of the book, rather than a good novel, I’d say it’s probably fairly successful within those parameters.

I will note, however, that, though I liked the narration itself, this book does not lend itself well to the audiobook format. Emojis lose something in translation, as do strings of code, which are painful to hear read out over and over again.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flood the market with awesome and simple (but complicated) stories around coding like Gene Luen Yang and the group writing this series and I'm in.

I like that it includes friendships, girls, and family with an easy to follow plot (that could have actually been fleshed out a tad more to feel complete) and getting in to coding by learning just a few things that make readers empowered but not overwhelmed.

Who wouldn't want to create an app to help their uncle undergoing cancer treatment keep track and remind him of his medications? Girl's got heart.

[Laura Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet, cute little mystery, but definitely on the slim side. None of the characters are all that developed and the one conflict --Lucy's ex-best friend Sophie is in the club--is resolved pretty quickly. That said, I think this is perfect for upper elementary (grades 3-5 would be my target) and it would serve perfectly as a class read aloud as they explore coding concepts. I won't buy this for my middle school library, but I will definitely keep it in mind for my own kids as they get older.

[Nico · Rating 4 out of 5]

(ARC sent to me by the publisher for review)

This book was adorable. The girls in the story had to solve a bit of a mystery, and it reminded me of my Boxcar Children days. Even as an adult, The Friendship Code taught me the basics of computer coding and got me interested to learn more. I would definitely recommend this book to my middle grade students (the characters are in 6th and 7th grade) if they were looking for a happy contemporary story, or to start a new series.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy is excited to join the coding club at her school. She wants to build an app to help her Uncle Mickey, who's sick with cancer, remember to take his medicine. But of course, no one builds an app the first time they try to code, so it's frustrating, and she's paired with one girl who intimidates her, her ex-best friend, and the new girl. Cuteness and teamwork ensues.

Cute little story with some computer science, too.

Thanks the the publisher for early access to this title!

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting from beginning to end. I found out about this series doing collection development for my library and how coding has been an ongoing trend. This series is fantastic because it combines basic techniques of coding with a jaw dropping story that you can't help but to read on. A perfect JFiction series. Can't wait to read on in the series. 5 Stars!

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and I'm excited to read more books in the series. I feel like it's a great book to encourage girls that they can code.. I can't wait to share this book with my sister when she is old enough to understand it

[Kelly Parisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick but fun read! Babysitters club meets coding. Takes place in a coding club and the girls solve a great mystery using code. But, don't take my word for it, I interviewed these amazing girls who raved about it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2B0d...

[Kimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad that this series exists <3

[Wendy Post · Rating 4 out of 5]

AL Camellia Award 18-19

[Vader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - Was a good book that my daughter enjoyed.

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable story about learning to code. The mystery made it interesting. We liked the part when they had to figure out the clues.

[Jo Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started a GWC club at my school and this is a book assignment for later. Super clever, and the older kids will enjoy it.