Sama Crushes the Code

High school student and debut author Mehta teams up with Stevens and Alvarado (New Friends Rule!) to deliver a straightforward coding-focused graphic novel inspired by Mehta’s childhood. Though Sama’s best friend Nancy reassures Sama that nothing will change between them upon entering middle school, the two drift apart once classes begin. While Nancy expands her social circle, Sama gravitates toward the Tech Club, though she feels out of place as a newcomer often left on her own. Her attempts to participate in club activities are met with resistance, including her proposal to code a new bus route for her younger brother’s struggling driver; the club leader dismisses the idea because it “isn’t going to win us any prizes” at the upcoming Code Crusher Championship. Despite these setbacks, Sama’s determination grows. She pursues increasingly ambitious coding challenges and even begins teaching her younger brother programming. Technical concepts such as functions, parallelism, and queues are interwoven throughout, emphasizing how coding can be used both creatively and in service of community needs—from practical problem-solving to designing roller coasters optimized for maximum fun. Blocky, boldly colored digital illustrations depict characters with varying skin tones. The outcome is a refreshing series opener centered around inclusion and accessibility in STEM spaces. Ages 8–12. Illustrator’s agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary. (July)