Yang And Holmes Conjure Computer Magic In 'Secret Coders'

As much as the kids who grew up with Harry Potter may want to become real wizards, there's really not much it'll ever happen. But a new work for middle schoolers focuses on a secret school that teaches some real-world skills (or maybe a slightly amplified version). The new graphic novel Secret Coders, by Gene Luen Yang (The Shadow Hero) and Mike Holmes (Bravest Warriors), makes computer programming an adventure.

“There’s something magic about coding, especially old-school coding,” Yang told Wired. “When you type these words into this machine, something kind of magic, something kind of crazy happens.”

The graphic novel focuses on two characters, Hopper and Eni, who are both at least partially based on real people. Eni is based on NBA star Chris Bosh, who studied computer imaging at Georgia Tech. Unlike Bosh, however, Eni will choose programming over athletics. Hopper is named for Grace Hopper, the inventor of the first compiler for a programming language.

The series will teach readers real computer basics, namely the programming language Logo, and binary code. Yang says he wants to show readers the "pure, visceral sense of joy" in coding.

Check out a handful of preview pages of the graphic novel, which comes out Sept. 29 from First Second Books, below!