Hi Tech World: Code Breakers

Children's Literature - Hazel Buys

Codes have been part of the human experience for millennia. In fact, one of the earliest codes, only decoded in the last century, is part of each of us: our genetic code, or our DNA. Other codes are man-made, intended to keep information private or secret. Codes may be written, spoken, or more recently, generated by computers. One of the most famous code breakers was Alan Turing who was a mathematician and one of the founders of computer science. He broke the Enigma code used by the Germans in WWII. Codes are also used in everyday transactions, such as the CAPTCHA code that pops up on a website to confirm that the user is a person and not another computer! Each two-page chapter is illustrated with neatly captioned color photographs, including close-ups that expand on the text. This book is one in the "Hi Tech World" series and ends with "Need to Know Words"; a "Did You Know?" short list of interesting, related facts; a "Find Out More Online" list of related websites; and an index. It would be a good resource for a class on the uses of technology in the modern world for early readers. Reviewer: Hazel Buys