about the book
From the moment she arrived at her new school, twelve-year-old Hopper has had the funny feeling that there is something very strange going on with Stately Academy. It seems to be crawling with mystery. Why are their leafless trees all around? What’s with the spooky architecture? And why do the robot birds have more than two eyes?
Making a new friend with a boy named Eni—after fighting with him and spitting loogies and everything—Hopper begins unraveling the secrets of the Academy. They find first a shed with a strange combination lock, which needs computer hacking skills to open. When they succeed, they discover an adorable little robot, programmed to clean sidewalks.
Other secrets around the school are unlocked by the right computer codes, and soon Hopper, Eni, their robot friend, and others are eagerly, and against the administrators’ wishes, hacking and discovering all around the Academy!
about the author
Gene Luen Yang was born in Alameda, California. His father was an electrical engineer from Taiwan, and his mother was a computer programmer from Hong Kong. Gene started drawing comics when he was in fifth grade, wanting to be a Disney animator.
He studied engineering at the University of California, but ended up becoming an educator. He taught math (the kids kept distracting him from the algorithms on the black board with discussion about comics) and computer science at a Catholic high school. He currently teaches in the MFA Writing for Children and Young Adults program at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Though Gene teaches at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, he lives in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife and noisy children. That’s quite the commute!
Sources:
Author website
Author biography: Wikipedia
Author interview: Washington Post
Also by Gene Luen Yang:
Paths & Portals (Secret Coders, Book 2). First Second. August 2016.
Avatar : The Last Airbender : Smoke and Shadow. Dark Horse Comics. 2015.
Avatar : The Last Airbender : The Rift. Dark Horse Comics. 2014.
Avatar : The Last Airbender : The Search. Dark Horse Comics. 2013.
Avatar : The Last Airbender : The Promise. Dark Horse Comics. 2012.
about the illustrator
Mike Holmes is a writer and illustrator living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He makes graphic novels, comics, puppets, animations, and empanada (that’s food). He also makes true stories his fans send him into funny comic strips.
Sources:
Illustrator website
Illustrator blog
read more!
Avatar : The Last Airbender : The Promise by Gene Luen Yang
When the peace of the four nations is threatened by conflict between Fire Lord Zuko and Earth King Kuei, Aang and his friends have to join together once again to preserve the peace. However, Aang’s friendship with Zuko makes things tenuous, and soon he is in the middle of the conflict.
Manga Math Mysteries : 1 : The Lost Key by Melinda Thielbar
Kids learn to be strong, fast, honest, cool-headed, and smart at Sifu Faiza’s Kung Fu School, and Joy, Adam, Sam, and Amy are going to need all of their training, especially in math, to find the stolen key to the school!