I have been a fan of this series since the beginning and even have a class set of the first one. This is number nine in the series and it does not disappoint. Derek is a reluctant reader and a struggling student. When his parents surprise him with a new laptop, but there is a catch--he has to take a coding class to learn how to program it. As Derek struggles with the coding class, he also gets help from his friends and helps them. Carly is struggling with some anxiety and possibly depression issues, but Derek involves her in some miniature horse therapy. Derek is also paired up in coding class with the mysterious female coding genius, Machiko. He loves that being her partner means less work for him, but their relationship is rather contentious.
This series is great for reluctant readers and is great to use with third graders making the transition from the Captain Underpants series and away from graphic supports like the Big Nate series. As a teacher, I really appreciate the vocabulary development that is included in all the books.
4 Stars
No comments:
Post a Comment