Do kids want to read a coding book? Not as much as dog stories.
Read the series called “…emotionally resonant…enjoyable STEM-centered novel for young readers…” — Kirkus Reviews
My name is Merlin Raj. I have a teeny tiny weakness for socks which makes life as a service dog difficult. Usually, I only have to worry about helping my boy, Matthew, walk at school. But when my family signs up for … school. But when my family signs up for their first 5k race, this super-smart golden retriever who wears glasses will also have to become a racing trainer.
Yikes!
Will Boolean math help me uncover the heart of a champion?
Appealing to readers of all ages, Merlin Raj and the Love Me Not Race is the continuing installment in this ILLUSTRATED chapter-book series. From artists to astronauts, the jobs of the future will deal with computers.
With a Computer Science degree and a passion for preparing kids for the future, author D. G. Priya blends technology with animal stories to stimulate a desire to read. Each book in the series introduces a new programming skill. If you or your child like delightful dog tales that explores universally positive themes, including empathy, kindness, dedication, and the importance of being true to one’s self, then you’ll love D. G. Priya’s tail-wagging adventure.
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I absolutely loved this book, it is dear to my heart, and I connected with it on so many levels!!!
As a huge animal lover there was no doubt that I wasn’t going to love this book since the story is told through the ever so adorable Merlin, a service dog. Also, as a former Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy trainer I knew I was going totally going to hit it off with Merlin and his boy, Matthew. In addition, when I was 11-years-old I was diagnosed with an “invisible” medical condition called Fibromyalgia. It causes significant muscle pain and weakness, but no perceivable symptoms like needing a cast or crutches that my fellow classmates could understand. Like Matthew, the other kids thought I was making it up for attention or trying to get out of P.E. or trying to get special treatment, etc. It can be very hard being a child and having such a complicated and painful illness. Sometimes you can barely understand it yourself, how can other kids your age grasp it? Especially like with Matthew when your symptoms are internal.
I really loved the positivity, encouragement, and heartwarming vibes this book gave off!!
I loved the whole Raj family!! They all had their flaws and quirks, but they were all likable, genuine, and relatable. I think many kids these days seem to look up to and idolize celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas, LeBron James, Kylie Jenner, and Kim Kardashian. I think kids should have more realistic role-models like industry professionals and that they should start learning speciality skills as soon as they can. It is never too early to learn!
I loved that this book implemented coding techniques!! Computers are utilized more than ever now and in even just ten years down the road I’m sure it’ll be at least triple what it is now. Computers are not going away. They are probably one of the few industries that are becoming recession proof. And even if you decide you don’t want to work in any I.T. field these skills will still help you personally and even professional in many other fields.
In addition, I enjoyed the Boolean Algebra passages – especially how they relate to code, that it’s the basis of computer science, and that even more than 200 years later it is still applied in life daily. Math was always my favorite and best subject in school until I took calculus lol!!
I also loved all the glossary terms, the binary code references featured throughout the book, and the break down of the math and science information which made learning the materials effortless. I can honestly admit that this book taught me a few things and I am very thankful to have read it!!
This book is full of valuable lessons that readers of ALL ages can enjoy, appreciate, and learn from!
I also really enjoyed the charming illustrations that truly helped put this book over the top!! I remember as a kid when I first started reading chapter books and how grown-up I felt but was thankful there were still a decent number of pictures. Images don’t dumb down books – they provide guidance into what the author was thinking. For me, I can’t stand when a book is made into movie and the characters casted look nothing like how I pictured them to be – even when the book cover with them on it looks nothing like them in the movie lol. So, I have to admit, it was nice following along with these sweet illustrations as they helped the picture accurately play out like a movie in my head.
This book has a creative story line, structured outline, evenly paced plot points, detailed scenes, relatable characters, important and useful life lessons, instilled valuable morals, and keeps you engaged through the last page – regardless of your age!
I really enjoyed reading this book and wish these books were around when I was a kid. I look forward to being able to share this book series with my kids that I hope to have one day in the future!!
This book is Book Two of the Merlin Raj Book Series. It can absolutely be read as a standalone. The author announced that Book Three is to be released in the coming months!! I can’t wait to check it out and continue to follow along on Merlin Raj’s adventures!!
All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it!! I think all middle grade readers and in all honesty readers of all ages will like this book too – and this book series!! So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading – you won’t be disappointed!!
**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**
3.75 stars
“Merlin Raj and the Love Me Not Race” written by D.G. Priya and illustrated by Shelley Hampe features young Matthew Raj and his service dog, Merlin Raj, as they and the family navigate the challenges of a family activity that will challenge them all, hopefully in only the best way. Binary code helps Merlin analyze the minds and actions of the humans around him so he can be the best help possible to his boy, Matthew.
This whimsical children’s book is part of the ‘Merlin Raj’ illustrated series that helps introduce multiple subjects to young readers. The beautiful illustrations bring the characters to life, and give an idea of some of the challenges that a person with a non-visible disability faces, while the text explains coping mechanisms as well as the contribution family, teachers, and everyone around make in that person’s life. Sprinkled throughout the story are the elements of binary code, as Merlin frames actions and decision in 0 (no/false) or 1 (yes/true) terms. An upcoming marathon provides a challenge for the entire family, and Merlin does his best to help all of them to navigate through to the winner’s line.
I love the multi-culturalism and educational aspects of this story. There were many new concepts introduced in between glimpses of family life, including grocery shopping, gym class, and doctor’s visits. The binary code was a bit confusing to me when it came to Matthew’s older brother and his strictures about racing and I thought the interactions among the children during Coach Boole’s initial training were disorganized and not reflective of the sensitivity training I would expect if a special needs person is included in the group. I also wasn’t quite sure how the entire group of children were automatically included in the race nor why the issue of whether Merlin was allowed in the contest even came up, as I vaguely thought that service animals were allowed anywhere their person was. I also am unsure why Merlin has corrected vision, lol.
There are great elements provided by having Merlin as the narrator, including the propensity for identifying humans (two-socks) by their socks and footwear and the rules that a service dog must obey, no matter how hard. The whimsy of having him be a little bit vain about his beautiful golden fur AND wearing glasses makes this a fun story that provides both entertainment and education, and I hope to see much more of Merlin and his human family in the future.
A copy of this title was provided for review
Rarely do I use actions to write a review. This time though, I’m just going to tell you what I did when I finished Merlin Raj and the Love Me Not Race. I ran straight into my better half’s office and said, “why didn’t we ever have such books when we were kids”. I wondered why we didn’t have books to discuss the difficult things that we all must endure. Mental and physical disabilities, illness, disease, well this could go on and on.
What I’m saying is that through the eyes of a family and a “cute as a button” service dog named Merlin, we hear both problems and solutions. There are many things covered here but the main one happens to be about running a race with a disability. This isn’t just about a boy with a disability though, this is about a dad with a little too much weight around his middle, a brother with a sprained ankle. It even covers binary logic or at least the dog does 🙂
I think in the above paragraphs, I’ve made it clear what a valuable story this is. And yet it’s fun and covers a subject that needs to be talked about out loud. The type of stories I wish we had many, many years ago, way back when I was a kid. D. G. Priya needs to write more stories for all of we grown-ups and kids.