A Coder Like Me; Dr Shini Somara, illustrated by Nadja Sarell

Auntie Jo’s house is full of gadgets and technology and young Sam is thrilled to be spending the day with her. Auntie Jo is a coder and Sam is keen to know all about computers and coding and his curious mind is filled with questions; Do computers need instructions? What are chips? Could a robot walk a dog? Can I be a coder like you?

With the help of some very important coders who have helped shaped the world, Auntie Jo is on hand to provide some much needed answers. And best of all, Sam can be a coder too…

A Coder Like Me is the third book in the ‘A … Like Me’ series from British mechanical engineer Dr. Shini Somara and it is another brilliant read. Readers join Sam for a day of STEM-themed fun as he explores the fascinating and incredibly cool world of coding with his fabulous Auntie Jo.

Told as a non-fiction narrative and full of questions, answers and relatable everyday examples, such as getting ready for school in the morning, Somara empowers all children to confidently take their first steps into the world of coding. Spending a day with Sam and Auntie Jo is awesome and this vibrantly illustrated read will capture the attention of inquisitive minds.

The fun, sweet story is filled with information on instructions, algorithms, software, hardware, circuit boards, binary, computer language, chips, bugs, robots and artificial intelligence. All of this is expertly explained by Auntie Jo with the help of some famous faces who have shaped, and continue to shape, the world of computers and coding. We meet Grace Hopper, an innovative coder who created the first code that used words; tech entrepreneur Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft; Margaret Heafield Hamilton who wrote the code for the Apollo moon landings; and Tiancheng Lou - founder of self-driving car company Pony.ai

What I love so much about this book is that Somara doesn’t just want kids to read about coding but she wants them to get actively involved and to really understand it. Children are encouraged to look for the everyday objects that we surround ourselves with that are reliant on computer code to work, from toys to kitchen appliances, cars to the Mars Rover, mobile phones to watches. To think about how they work - what instructions do they have? She wants children to take things apart and to put them back together - just make sure you get permission first. She wants children to get excited about coding, and after reading her book, I’m sure many children will be. Suggestions at the back of the book encourage children to check out ScratchJr and give coding a go for themselves.

In recent years, coding has become a fundamental part of the ICT curriculum in primary schools and this fantastic book explores the topic in a fun, accessible and educational way that will switch young minds on and will ensure that the next generation are crazy about coding.

Recommended for 5+.