Talia's Codebook for Mathletes

A fun, interactive guide to forging your own path in middle school.

In this winning interactive comics diary by Moss (the Amelia series), sixth grader Talia Zargari, portrayed with tan skin, records her daily observations and personal thought experiments to cope with the social pitfalls of middle school. Upset by teasing from his male classmates about them being boyfriend-girlfriend, Talia's best friend Dash, who reads as Black, tells her they can't be friends anymore. Devastated, STEM-focused Talia turns her sights to making it onto her school's mathletes team. She's delighted when both she and Dash make the lineup and hopes spending time together will help them reconcile. But as the only girl on the team, Talia faces gendered discrimination from their captain, prompting her to form her own all-girl mathletes squad. Moss successfully integrates an array of codes, doodles, and puzzles among Talia's insightful and often humorous deductions about how "middle school isn't about learning stuff from teachers.... It's really about learning how to get along with other people." Talia is an appealing heroine who thrives despite her challenges and missteps, and whose willingness to learn--coupled with her frustrations around growing up and changing dynamics--paints an organic portrait of one irrepressible tween's middle school experience. Ages 8-12. (June)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 5-7--From the creator of the classic "Amelia's Notebook" series comes a new comics diary adventure. Talia has high hopes for middle school; she's smart, has good friends, has always been successful in school, and is ready for this new adventure. That is until her best friend, Dash, informs her that they can't really be friends anymore. Talia is confused and disappointed when Dash shares that it isn't cool for middle school boys to be friends with girls. To help get over her disappointment with a less-than-stellar start to middle school, Talia decides to start a journal filled with her observations, plans, and thoughts. When Talia finds out that Dash has joined the Mathletes team, she figures she can join him, and then they can still be friends. It turns out that Talia is the only girl on the team, and the boys aren't too happy with her joining them. So, Talia decides to form an all-girls Mathletes team and show the boys that she is just as smart as they are. Through this new adventure, Talia learns that, while middle school is not what she thought it would be, it's still a great place to be. VERDICT A delightful novel sure to be a hit with readers wishing to become mathematicians or even scientists. With a narrative infused with colorful illustrations, codes, jokes, and observations, this is a fantastic start to a new series.--Charla Hollingsworth

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Shows with authenticity how Talia has to manage complex feelings around growing up, recognizing her own mistakes, and making room for others. . . Talia's love of code-breaking and scavenger hunts is incorporated through fun puzzles for readers to solve. Fans of Moss' Amelia's Notebooks series will feel at home with the engagingly illustrated text and tips for navigating social situations. . . . A fun, interactive guide to forging your own path in middle school.
—Kirkus Reviews

In this delightful book, author/illustrator Marissa Moss tells the story of math-loving Talia using her signature format that imitates a hand-written notebook with full color artwork on every page. . . math and codes are interwoven seamlessly into the text. . . the main draw for readers will be Talia herself, as her struggles with friendship and fitting in are so relatable.
—School Library Connection