Coding Capers: Luci and the Missing Robot: A STEM Picture Book About Coding and the Power of Persistence

by Angela Cleveland, Tamara Zentic, Juan Manuel Moreno;Juan Manuel Moreno (Illustrator)

Join Luci and her friends as they go on an adventure to find a missing robot! In the process they learn the foundational concepts of coding, the increasing capabilities of technology, and the power of persistence.

Was it just a dream?! Luci wakes up after dreaming about robots only to learn that her teacher has a robot emergency at school! The class robot has disappeared, and the students must decipher codes to locate it, reprogram it, and return it.

We huddled together.

“Hurry! Read the card!”

Go to the gym where you’ll find a maze,
Up and down and then sideways,
Over and over with your group,
Not a pattern, but a ______.

This STEM-friendly tale takes children on a fun game of hide and seek that teaches coding terminology and how technology and computer science work together to create and manage so many of the things we use in our daily lives.

With a little ingenuity and a lot of perseverance, Luci and her friends follow the clues and end up with a surprise that will allow each of them to help others and inspire the next generation of leaders.

Genres: Picture Books, Stem, Science

32 pages, Paperback

Published November 21, 2019

About the author

Angela Cleveland is a celebrated former school counselor known for her vibrant approach to education and student development. Recognized as New Jersey's 2017 School Counselor of the Year, Angela's passion for fostering resilience and growth in young people shines through in her daily work and beyond. She has also been honored as one of William Paterson University's 50 Alumni Under 50, a distinction that celebrates her impactful career and dedication to the values of leadership and progress instilled during her time at the university.

In addition to her role in school counseling, Angela is a dynamic speaker, frequently invited to share her insights and strategies at educational conferences both in the U.S. and internationally. She has co-authored essential resources for school counselors, including 50+ Tech Tools for School Counselors: How to Be More Engaging, Efficient, and Effective and Coding Capers: Luci and the Missing Robot, blending her expertise in counseling with innovative tech solutions.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Angela is known for her spirited pep talks directed at her cat, always encouraging him to think outside the litter box and stay pawsitive. Through her work, Angela continues to inspire both her students and colleagues in the educational community.

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coding Capers: Luci and the Missing Robot is a sweet, STEM filled book!

I love that I am seeing more books surrounding engineering, technology and STEM. In my youth, there was not a giant market for that so a lot of us kids (mainly girls) didn't know that was an option. Having a premise like this is absolutely excellent and I think it was quite fun! Introduction to coding and robots is a must for kids these days. Hence, why I think this book is super important!

The story is weird for me though. There are points where the little adventure/treasure hunt the kids go on gets quite confusing. It's not the information that's presented that's confusing, it's just the overall arc of the story. Like a lot of books I've picked up lately, with just a few more edits I think this could be a really good book.

This book will definitely have a strong audience base, but some readers will not enjoy it at all. It's one of those niche type books that will be hit and miss.

I think the art and style in the book is one of it's strong points. I really thought it was colourful and pretty. It keeps the attention of the reader and gives them something to look at.

To top it off, at the end of the book there is some extra resources available. This provides a little more education and can be supplemental to the reader.

Three out of five stars.

I received this book for free via NetGalley.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My feelings about this one are all over the place. A good premise, weak writing, and passable illustrations combine to make a book that I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable recommending... even though the overall message is fine.

Luci is paired up with her friends to find a robot that their teacher has hidden somewhere in the school. They follow clues--learning about three different coding concepts along the way--until they reach their goal.

A trend I've noticed in self-published picture books lately is a tendency to italicize dialogue. This book does that... but only with the speech that's not spoken by the main character. There are grammar and punctuation issues throughout, and the writing really could have used some more speech tags.

As for the story, it's kind of unrealistic, and a bit confusing in places. There's a sort of jump after Luci and her friends find the third clue, and suddenly they're in the science lab. We don't know what the clue was that sent them there (I'm guessing it was the room number, but the text doesn't really say). This is a bit disappointing, because the puzzle is such a big part of the story; it's a shame it ended up glossed over. The ending is also kind of ridiculous, with the kids each receiving their very own robot to program. Luci plans on using hers to basically act as a service dog for her blind grandmother. I don't know if technology is there yet... but I'm fairly certain it wouldn't be found in a cheap robot won as a prize!

That said, I do like the coding aspect. Three concepts--algorithms, loops, and conditionals--are explained clearly through the narrative in an easy-to-understand way. So that's probably the strongest part of the book.

Overall, this is a book with a good premise that could use some work on the technical side, ironically enough. If the writing were cleaned up and made clearer (and the puzzle solution explained), this could be a good book for getting kids interested in learning how to code. I would, however, be sure to explain to kids that they shouldn't expect to be able to program a robot to act as a service animal.

Thank you to NetGalley and National Center for Youth Issues for providing a digital ARC.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Independent Society of Book Publishers for this book in return for an honest review. An interesting book that is geared to STEM learning and a desire by a group of children to solve a series of clues, to find their class robot, reprogram it and the first team that can do that will win their own home robot. For me the illustrations are better than the story, which is rather basic for what it is trying to promote. I never felt really involved in the book which uses overly simple riddles, clues and tasks to try and teach us about coding and computers. I think this book is a little too mature for young readers, and too immature for the intended age group. 2.5** for me but I will round it up to a 3 because of food illustrations.

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Over promoting coding and how fun I can be in a story for kids. Not bad but I don't see the point to it.

[Tarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa! I'm so impressed with this book. It has a fun adventure (with riddles and puzzles to solve!) -- that really ull the reader into the story. The best part is that while your kids are enjoying the fun story, they're picking up on computer science keywords and learning about real-life app of those phrases. I could see kids reading this one again and again.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coding Capers is a story of young coders participating in a class scavenger hunt. This book is engaging and promotes positive uses of technology. Readers see a great example of perseverance and teamwork. I ordered a finished copy. I may use it in my instruction or lend it to my STEM teacher. Thanks Netgalley and National Center for Youth Issues for the ARC of this title.

[Flocarine · Rating 3 out of 5]

,,, nice book about a few basic coding stuff, the book is for kids, so don´t expect a lot of codes =) It´s interesting and useful, but too short. As someone said, a bit unrealistic, but hey it´s a book! =)

Recommended for younger kids who are interested in Computer and a bit of background!

Thanks for letting me read and review this ARC

Note 2 or A-

[Angeli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me of my childhood. The curious kid in me always loved a good riddle. Even as an adult I enjoy riddles! But this book is quite a thrilling read for me. I love the combination of the riddles and the art work. Very enjoyable, indeed!

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this adorable book!

[Melodie Coulter-Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up.

What this book has right: AWESOME STEM principles packaged in a way that will make sense to young readers. Diverse characters. Wonderful resources to bring the book to life in the back.

What this book could do better: The plot is honestly kind of simple for where this book levels at... I know the story is throwing some more complex concepts, but it felt a little bit like I was reading a picture book with extra words.

While this book needs work, I can see it packaged/recommended/used by educators in conjunction with some more engaging stories to round out the lesson. Standing alone, it is a weaker book but nonetheless very important to the world of upper-level readers!

[ReadingAllNight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a cute picture book especially for kids that are interested in robots or to jump start an early interest in coding. Will say the clues the kids follow may a bit confusing to kids. The art was overall , colorful and eye catching though was a bit flat at times. The story was a bit simplistic even for a picture book .Also thing it would have made more sense to give the kids more toy robots as prizes instead of what they actual got since I can't see a school giving out full sized robots. Even so still fun and could see kids enjoying this.

* I downloaded a free version off netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from National Center for Youth Issues - Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this book from cover to cover and loved the approach Angela Cleveland took while writing this creative coding story. It's starts out with Luci having a dream that she will get to program her own robot. She wakes up and hurries to get ready and finds out that she and her friends have their favorite class computer science first period. Mrs. Lansing the teacher walks in and the class is split up in teams of three and designates the teams to find the class robot and reprogram him and the winners will each get their very own robot to program. Luci and her friends are too excited that they are determined to win and find the robot and they do with each of them getting their very own robot. This gets me excited due to the way it was written to get children excited about technology and how it could change the world and it all starts with reading a book.

We will consider adding this title to our Picture Book Collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read for children! The illustrations are bright and colorful, and the subject matter is engaging. Not only will they enjoy the story line, but the book is educational, as well. Luci and her friends compete with their classmates and work together to locate a missing robot. The prize for the winning team members: each one gets a robot of their very own. The students must decipher the codes (clues) provided in order to locate the missing robot and reprogram it. At the end of the book is an activity relating to a section of what took place in the story. This serves to reinforce the coding and allow it to be relatable to a younger audience. Also, provided is a link for additional coding resources. Kids will definitely enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to review this book.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun, informative STEM adventure. My rating 4.5.

Luci and her friends get to work together as a team to solve a special treasure hunt. Their teacher has created a programable robot and one is ‘lost’ within the school. The teams must solve the clues and apply them properly. The team that gets to the robot first and solves its programming problem will each get a surprise.

This story has relatable young school children and fun rhyming clues like the example in the blurb. The blanks to fill in are all words the children have learned in their technology, computer lessons. As an adult, I was glad to be reminded of my early years of programming. The story is laid out well and reads quickly. I received the print book this week and was pleased to see that the production is glossy and inviting. The images are bright, distinct and fit the text blocks. I enjoyed the informative lesson and think it would be appropriate for young students. I look forward to sharing this with my 7 and 8-year-old granddaughters. I recommend this to encourage young children who have any interest in robots and programming.

Source: NetGalley 2019.

[Claire (clairesneverlandofbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scavenger hunts are the best! This follows 3 kids on a scavenger hunt for a lost robot. And the group who find the robot first get to take home their own robot. So cool! It brings in some computer science into the book which I loved!

Great illustrations as well!

I received a free copy via netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this STEM story for kids. Fun illustrations and text keep the reader engaged as they help to find the missing robot. A great choice for libraries, classrooms or parents who want to increase their STEM selection of titles.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me review this title!

[Donald Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luci and her friends are into science; really into science. They're smart kids with a passion for technology who are readily on-board when they get to school one day ... and are told by their science teacher that her robot is missing! Using coding terminology and their combined knowledge of computer science to solve various clues they are given, the three kids form one of several teams challenged to play a sort of scavenger hunt through the school in search of the missing robot - the reward for the winning team being no less than each member receiving his or her own robot to keep! This children's book is a quick, fun, easy read that should appeal to kids not even into computers or science - while at the same time potentially creating such an interest in those who do read it, as coding and computers here are seen through the eyes of students who understand what technology can do to help both people and the planet. Good messages here that never come across as messages, but rather as a genuinely enjoyable mystery that brings what - for some - may be a hard-to-understand subject down to a readily-understandable level, while also being fun. 3.5/5 stars

Note: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.