Codebreakers #1: The Wish Ring Cipher written by Alexandra Ott, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: This story follows Emma Avery, a newly diagnosed autistic girl, as she transitions from her comfortable and small school, Sterling, to Afton Academy, a new environment with more tailored support programs and a lot more students. At Afton, Emma meets Nate, a popular classmate who shares her love for codes. Together, they join the Codebreakers, a group focused on deciphering mysterious codes in a nearby ghost town that lead to magical objects. As they race against rivals to find a wish-granting artifact, Emma faces challenges of trust and friendship. This captivating middle-grade novel blends mystery, magic, and the journey of self-discovery. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book is rich story that intertwines themes of friendship, autism, and code-breaking. Emma's transition from Sterling to Afton Academy highlights the importance of supportive educational environments for neurodiverse students. It is a good book to discuss neurodiversity, encouraging empathy and understanding among students. The detailed exploration of ciphers can also be an engaging way to introduce problem-solving and critical thinking exercises in the classroom. While some may find the pace slow, the depth of character development and the intriguing plot make it a worthwhile read. The author is neurodivergent and she wrote it in a way that would have appealed to her in middle school.  A lot of reviewers are not liking the detailed explanations of the code breaking strategies, but I think will appeal to those students who are really into it.  I like that Emma found some friends that did not judge her because she was expecting to be judged and labeled as soon as she got to her new school.