Secret Coders is a series of graphic novels that combines logic puzzles, basic programming instruction, and a story where a group of seventh graders uncover a secret coding school. The series is written by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by Mike Holmes, and published by First Second Books.
About the Author
The popular American cartoonist, Gene Luen Yang, authored Secret Coders. He acquired a bachelor's degree in computer science at U.C. Berkeley. Some of his non-cartoonist jobs included a few years of software developing and over fifteen years of high school teaching computer science in Oakland, California. His books are based on his teaching techniques, and meant to be educational, fun, and accessible by all age levels. He wrote the book to inspire people to learn coding. Yang wrote the book in a similar way to how he taught his classes. He has written many graphic novels including American Born Chinese, Dragon Hoops and Boxers & Saints. American Born Chinese also an upcoming TV series based on the original book.
Structure of the Novels
Secret Coders is a series of 6 educational graphic novels. Each of the Secret Coders graphic novels has 3 chapters. The chapter “titles” are drawings of four-eyed binary birds, displaying the chapter number in binary with open and closed eyes. At the end of each chapter, there is a coding or binary challenge. At the end of each book, there is a coding challenge. The answer to the coding challenge is revealed at the beginning of the next book. The sixth and final book does not have a coding challenge at the end.
The beginning of the first book implies that the books are stories being told by the main character, Hopper. This is confirmed by the end of book six, where Hopper begins to tell the story to Eni.
All the books take place at Stately Academy
Graphic novels
Secret Coders (2015) This book is the first in the series and contains Chapters 1 - 3
In the first book, Hopper begins her first day at the strange Stately Academy. She meets Eni, who teaches about binary, teaching her how the robot birds around the school work. She also meets Josh, a kid who is perceived to be a bully by Hopper. Hopper meets an aggressive janitor named Mr. Bee, who she discovers he has more than meets the eye. She works with Eni to get into his office, and they find a robot turtle which is capable of learning basic speech commands. They both are caught by Mr. Bee, who uses the robot birds to attack them both, but they escape. Josh tries to apologize for his actions, but Hopper and Eni use the robot to trace a strange shape on the ground. It leads to an underground basement, but they are caught by Bee's birds and he gives them a challenge: if they can trace the path portal on the ground, they get to learn more about him. If not, they are expelled from the school.
Antagonist Dr. One Zero is shown briefly
Paths & Portals (2016) This book is the second in the series and contains Chapters 4 -6.
In the second book, the group passes
Programming concepts: random numbers
Secrets & Sequences (2017) This book is the third in the series and contains Chapters 7 - 9.
Summary:
Robots & Repeats (2017) This book is the fourth in the series and contains Chapters 10 through 12.
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Potions & Parameters (2018) This book is the fifth in the series and contains Chapters 13 - 15.
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Monsters & Modules (2018) This book is the sixth in the series.
Main characters
Hopper
Hopper is a twelve year old girl and the protagonist of the Secret Coders series. She just moved to her new middle school, Stately Academy. She is in seventh grade. Her mom is the Mandarin teacher at Stately Academy. She began to play basketball after her dad, a huge basketball fan named Albert Gracie, disappeared. In the fifth book, Albert Gracie reappears and it is revealed that he was imprisoned by Doctor One-Zero and intoxicated with Green Pop. She becomes a coder after some lessons from Eni and Mr. Bee. Hopper is named after Grace Hopper. Her personality is also somewhat based on Grace Hopper (as with the name). Hopper is introduced to the reader in book 1.
Eni
Eni is a tall, African American basketball player. He has three older sisters, all basketball players. His personality and appearance were inspired by Chris Bosh, an NBA star and coder. He teaches Hopper binary and some basic coding. Eni is introduced to the reader in book 1.
