Secret Coders: Potions and Parameters

In this fifth volume of the Secret Coders series, things really kick into high gear. First off, the evil Dr. One-Zero's plot is hatching, with dire outcomes for our heroes and their families, which include ducks with teeth(!).

Second, there is a lot more happening with the protagonists' inter-personal relationships as they face life and death situations: Eni confesses having more-than-friend-feelings for Hopper, which causes her pause and also confusion. Josh admits he feels a bit like a third wheel and confesses feelings of inadequacy when someone whom he thought was his friend betrays them. So those revelations all add a more human wrinkle to the proceedings, which I much appreciated. Third, we finally learn about the origins of Dr. Bee, which have a surprising link to the classic book Flatland. Finally, the stage is set for the grand showdown and climax of the series, which is coming in the next volume. It was exciting to see so much happening and paying off here, and longtime readers of the series will be jazzed.

In addition to all those plot developments, this book also contains a few excellent explanations and activities that teach coding and geometry. And like the other entries in this series (you can read all my reviews here), it is wonderfully written and drawn. There is a severe dearth of quality graphic novels for young readers about mathematics and computer programming, and these books fill both of those needs admirably.

This book/series is a prolonged continuation of the collaboration between Gene Yang and Mike Holmes. Yang is one of the premier comics creators working today. He was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and was also the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. He has won the Printz Award for his graphic novel American Born Chinese and explored themes of immigration, belief, identity, and growing up in his many works, including The Eternal Smile, Level Up, The Shadow Hero, the twin volumes Boxers & Saints, and his current run on New Superman. Holmes is best known for his work on the weekly comic True Story and drawing Adventure Time comics.

The reviews I have read about this book have been positive, with one caveat. Brett Schenker "loved" it, though he does note that the whole series reads like a school lesson and should not be read out of order. Shannon Buchanan wrote that it was "a very effective way to teach rudimentary programming skills," though she was disappointed that it was not a stand-alone volume. Kirkus Reviews noted, "While the coding instruction’s as top-notch as ever, in this installment it’s interpersonal dynamics and characters that, satisfyingly, take center stage."

Potions & Parameters was published by First Second, and they provide a preview and more about it here. You can also visit the series' official website for a lot more info.

A review copy was provided by the publisher.