Lucy Lopez: Coding Star

After-School Superstars #3

by Claudia Mills, Grace Zong (Illustrator)

Talented Lucy Lopez finds her passion when she joins an after-school coding camp, but can her older sister come to terms with their shared hobby?

Third-grader Lucy Lopez and her older sister Elena created the Let's Have Fun Club, where they designed their own badges to put in a handbook and make up lists of things they have to do to earn each one.

But now Elena is spending most of her time coding on the computer and Lucy feels left out. She decides to join the after-school coding camp in the hopes that Elena will want to add it to their Let's Have Fun Club activities and it can be something they can do together. But when Lucy proves to be a natural, Elena is none too happy--why does Lucy have to do everything she does?

Parents and kids on the hunt for a fun and informative book about coding need look no further. The series includes Lucy Lopez: Coding Star, Nixie Ness: Cooking Star, and Vera Vance: Comic Book Star in the After-School Superstars series. Perfect for fans of Judy Moody, Ivy and Bean, and Clementine, this new chapter book series features recurring characters, and each book highlights one activity they do at their after-school program. The books are illustrated in black and white and include a bonus activity that corresponds to the book's plot.

Genres: Family, Fiction, School, Coding, Chapter Books, Middle Grade

128 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2020

About the author

Claudia Mills is the author of Nixie Ness, Cooking Star, 7 x 9 = Trouble!, Zero Tolerance, Write This Down, and many other books for children. She was born in New York City in 1954. She received her bachelor's degree from Wellesley College, her master's degree from Princeton University, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University. She also received an M.L.S. degree from the University of Maryland, with a concentration in children's literature. She had a second career as a professor of philosophy at the Colorado at Boulder, until leaving that career in 2014 to write full time. She now teaches in the graduate program in children's literature at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. All of her books have been written between 5 and 7 in the morning while drinking Swiss Miss hot chocolate.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/claudi...

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new title in the After-School Superstars series fits right in with the popularity of programs like Girls Who Code and other STEAM initiatives aimed at girls. Lucy joins an after school coding camp and each week they learn something new using what seems to be SCRATCH or something similar. Love Lucy's relationship struggles with her sister and the club they have started at home complete with badges! Includes helpful information on learning about coding on your own.

Thank you to Margaret Ferguson Books (Holiday House) and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy Lopez loves her big sister Elena. They have a lot in common, including a love for computer coding. But Elena feels she is being copied and wants Lucy to give up the computer. How can Lucy follow her own interests without ruining her relationship with her sister? This chapter book has a compelling emotional arc and a fascinating storyline. Young readers will learn a lot about computer coding. Delightful from beginning to end!

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lucy is interested in coding but for some reason her sister, Elena, isn't too happy about Lucy doing the same thing she's doing. Lucy pursues her interest by joining the same coding camp Elena had done before, in hopes of being able to be on the same ground and have fun coding together. Lucy learns a lot and enjoys her time with her coding friends, but should she give it all up for Elena?

I do like that Lucy and her sister are both interested in coding. However, the rift between the sisters doesn't quite make sense to me. What seemed to be such a prolonged distance between the two also just disappeared instantly, which also didn't quite make sense. I don't like coding, personally, but I did want to be able to read about girls who did. However, I struggled to finish the book and had to make myself keep reading to find out the ending just because I didn't want to leave it unfinished.

[Wina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grade 1-5, Claudia Mills is the best for gently realistic reads! This is book 3 in the series. Book 1 was dedicated to me, and I helped with details in the book, so I am emotionally bonded to this series! I love Claudia Mills. Personally.

I enjoyed this book a lot, and I cried at the end. The sisters dynamic was the main point, but it was also neat to have an outsider see the original 4 friends and join in their group. Being in on the coding class was great, too. I learned so much without it being didactic. I love all the instructor parts that were included. The author's note explains how Claudia watched actual instructors at work to get these great ideas! Helpful resources to start coding, too.

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This slim chapter book packs a lot of story for beginning independent readers. The STEM aspect of the book with a Latina child as the protagonist is a plus, as is the idea of meeting the various characters in their own stories as part of the After-School Superstars series.

[Laura Roettiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third in a series of delightful early middle grade books. The characters are relatable and likable and I love the way coding was explained in an easy way to understand. I’m looking forward to the next book in the After-School Superstars.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/27/2021 ~ Good premise, informational about block-based coding, compelling sister drama.

As with many of Mills' books, a tiny bit didactic when explaining the school concept (coding in this case.)

I will be adding this book to my elementary library.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. I liked the protagonist Lucy and the explanations of coding that were easy enough to understand. I love that she found something that she loves and is good at. Even at 44 I am sometimes still trying to find my own thing lol

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Cute book!

[Christine Turner]

Subject: Computer programming -- Juvenile fiction.
After-school programs -- Juvenile fiction.
Schools -- Juvenile fiction.

[Amirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book for a book club of young aged up to 9.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute first chapter with a great breakdown of how coding works, plus a relatable, resolvable conflict of older/younger sibling relationships.

[Amanda Medernach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This chapter book provides a nice easy introduction to coding terms and how coding works. I also really enjoyed the bond between the two main characters who are sisters.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun chapter book about Lucy and her sister Elena and their club and earning badges together. But Elana is jealous when Lucy takes the coding class Elena has taken and is better at it. The sisters come to a compromise at the end after Lucy tries to make Elena happy. But sharing a room with your sister and computer time is hard to make the other come around to being friends again.