Volume 1 of the “Programming Girls!” series, which I provided supervision for—*Lucy: Chase the Mysterious Message*—is now on sale! Be sure to pick up a copy and check it out.

*Click here for the Amazon page*
　http://u0u1.net/Xxz0

*Synopsis*
　It’s the start of a new school year. Now a sixth grader, Lucy has joined the programming club she’s always wanted to be a part of. But she’s disappointed to find herself in a mismatched group with Sofia, the athletic girl she’s on bad terms with; Maya, the unapproachable fashion leader; and Erin, the transfer student who seems to be hiding a secret.The next morning, Lucy receives an anonymous letter. Written inside was a coded message that looked like a programming language—.
　Who on earth sent it, and why? To decode the message, she’ll need to draw on the knowledge of each group member. Lucy plucks up her courage to talk to the three girls, and together they set out to find the culprit!

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　Featuring protagonists of various races and cultural backgrounds, this fun story lets readers get a little taste of the diverse school life unique to the United States.
However, the book’s most unique feature is that it allows readers to learn “what computational thinking is” while enjoying the story. For example, through episodes like “guiding a blindfolded person,” the book is designed so that the meanings of technical terms such as “conditional branching,” “loops,” and “variables”—as well as how to construct programming logic—naturally sink in.
　That said, the aim of this book is not to teach programming skills. Rather, it focuses on conveying the fundamental way of thinking and the fun that should underlie programming.The book aims to present key principles—such as “identifying problems in real life,” “devising steps to bring ideas to life, reflecting on and verifying the process when things go wrong,” and “working together to refine ideas”—and, above all, to offer an exciting vision of “the possibilities that open up when you can program.” That is the goal of this book.
　We hope this book will serve as a positive role model that sparks the curiosity of children who are just beginning to explore programming.

　In the United States, where it was originally published, this innovative programming novel ranked 10th on the *New York Times* Bestsellers list in the children’s books category immediately after its release in August 2017.
　The series consists of four volumes, with a different narrator in each book (Volume 2: Sophia, Volume 3: Maya, Volume 4: Erin; scheduled for release sequentially by March 2020). Although their personal struggles—such as family issues or, in some cases, adjustment disorders—are revealed, the girls’ consistently heartfelt and determined efforts are both refreshing and endearing. Please look forward to future developments in the series!