Talia's Codebook for Mathletes
Age 8+
General Fiction
Can math-loving Talia crack the code of being cool in middle school? Marissa Moss, creator of the internationally best-selling Amelia’s Notebook series, makes a welcome, STEM-oriented return to the comics diary form.
Talia loves math puzzles and code-breaking, but the new social rules of middle school have her stumped. Her best friend, Dash, is now embarrassed to be best friends with a girl, so he only wants to hang out with Talia outside of school. And although Talia is excited to make the math team, the strict team captain doubts her abilities . . . just because she’s a girl. But Talia has a great idea: she’ll start her own all-girls math team! As the first competition approaches, Talia is determined to bring her fledgling team to victory, get her best friend back, and break the social code of preteen life. In the spirit of her best-selling Amelia’s Notebook series, Marissa Moss brings Talia’s adventures to life through charming text, illustrations, doodles, graphs, and puzzles. This delightful new series is for all math-lovers, doodlers, and anyone who has ever had to navigate the unfamiliar conventions of a new school.
Creators
Marissa Moss is an award-winning author-illustrator who has written more than seventy children’s books, from picture books to middle-grade and young adult historical novels. She’s best known for the Amelia’s Notebook series, which has sold 6 million copies, been translated into several languages, and helped start the journal format craze in children’s books. Marissa Moss lives in California.
Reviews
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
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.
School Library Journal
Moss successfully integrates an array of codes, doodles, and puzzles among Talia’s insightful and often humorous deductions. . . 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.
Publishers Weekly
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
