Astrid the Astronaut: Robot Rebellion by Rie Neal, illustrated by Talitha Shipman

This STEM-themed beginning chapter series includes a different science concept in each book. This title, the fourth in the series, has Astrid tackling coding and learning lessons about how to code as well as how to work with friends and family and keep her promises.

Astrid, who uses spoken language and hearing aids, is excited to show her favorite teacher how much her group has learned by coding a special routine for their robot for Ms. Ruiz' birthday. But her plans to have her big sister help fall through when Stella becomes absorbed in her own coding competition and it looks like Astrid will have to confess to her friends that she can't follow through on her promises. With last-minute help from Stella and the determination to be honest and support her sister, Astrid manages to save the day for both of them.

The series generally focuses on space-related STEM, since Astrid wants to be the first astronaut in space with hearing aids, but each also tackles issues of cooperation, friendship, and navigating family relationships. There are black and white illustrations sprinkled throughout the book. Astrid attends a racially diverse school, including the teachers, but she herself is white. The author includes a note on hearing aids and sign language at the end of the book, explaining her choice to have Astrid use aids and spoken language.

Verdict: This fits in with series like Ellie Engineer, Frankie Sparks, Craftily Ever After, Girls Who Code, and Fort Builders. The addition of a Deaf child is a an added dimension and will make this popular in my area, as we have a large Deaf population in the neighboring town and our school emphasizes STEM and maker activities. Recommended if you have an audience for beginning chapter books in this genre.

ISBN: 9781534481572; Published February 2023 by Aladdin; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library