Code Busters!

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5 Albert has ``noodled and doodled'' his code and cipher ideas into an extension of his earlier book, Codes for Kids (Whitman, 1976). A combination of bright cover, expressive cartoon illustrations and a few riddles will be an attraction for those super sleuths determined to code and decode their way through lunch hour or recess. Each page contains a different code with directions for coding/decoding, followed by the opportunity to ``crack the code'' by using an example. An answer file is available at the end of the text for each of the codes presented. Topics such as invisible ink writing or physical disguises for the ``undercover'' agent can be found in other volumes, such as Secret Codes (Watts, 1980) by Helen Fletcher. However, the 25 codes packed into this slim volume will suffice for most young detectives. Mary Lou Budd, Milford South Elementary School, Ohio