by Deirdre Langeland (Author) Sarah Mai (Illustrator)
In this funny and heartfelt slice-of-life graphic novel for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Kayla Miller, when coding whiz Zoey goes from homeschooled to new school, she develops an app to help her make friends. Will the Cool Code help Zoey fit in? Or will it completely crash her social life?
In an attempt to fit in, Zoey develops an app called the Cool Code with a cute llama avatar that will tell her everything from what to say to what to wear based on pop culture algorithms she's uploaded.
But when the app gives her ridiculous advice, awkwardness and hilarity ensues. With a few upgrades and a bit of debugging from the coding club, the app actually works--Zoey gets really popular . . . and gets her pulled in all kinds of directions, including away from her real friends.Life's most complicated choices. . . is there a code for that?
WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
Homeschooled Zoey isn't thrilled that her parents' new time-intensive work project means she now has to attend Hawthorne Middle School. Anxious about becoming a social outcast, Zoey uses her talent for coding to develop the Cool Code, an app that will guide her through the pitfalls of middle school and straight to popularity. Unfortunately, the app is far from perfect, but with the help of her new friends Daniel (who has brown skin a dark, curly hair) and Morgan (who has a Chinese surname), Zoey is determined to make it—and herself—a success. The artwork is vibrant, with expressive characters, including C.C., the outspoken pink llama avatar of the Cool Code app. Zoey (who has light skin and brown hair) is a likable character who clearly can handle making friends on her own, even if she doesn't always have the confidence, but readers will still relate to her anxiety. The students at Hawthorne Middle School are diverse in appearance and are generally supportive of, although often confused by, Zoey as she tests out different versions of her program. VERDICT A humorous exploration of cracking the middle school social code for anyone craving more personified snarky llamas in their lives.—Amanda Melilli
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.