Agent Asha: Mission Shark Bytes

In this original action adventure, Asha has to use all of her skills with problem solving and computer programming to confront an evil genius and save the world’s Internet…without being eaten by sharks!

Asha is a coding genius whose friends include a robot hamster-like creature called Tumble and a hi-spec talking drone…called Drone. She made these friends herself and they help her to tackle life’s everyday problems, like how to talk to your mates in class using a calculator, and how to hack into the school’s computer system. When the Internet starts being interrupted, all over the world, a spy agency for children contacts Asha in a secret code, and suddenly her expertise in computing is put to far more exciting (and dangerous) use!

Asha’s task is to take on Shelly Belly – teenage Internet sensation – and her army of tech-experts (and sharks!). To complete her mission, Asha has to solve complex problems and crack codes to get round Shelly’s ingenious traps and cyber-security. Pleasingly, Asha has few special gadgets or brave companions to help her. Instead, she relies upon the crystal clear protocols of the Children’ Spy Agency: think for yourself and question everything. Asha applies logical, procedural thinking and problem-solving strategies to break down the seemingly impossible mission and create flawless (well, usually!) plans to defeat her enemy.

The book revels in its celebration of computer science and technology, and makes brilliant use of illustrations and diagrams to help the reader fully engage with Asha’s thinking. Decision-trees and databases are used alongside cartoons and comic book pages and give the story an exciting, multimedia feel, and there are extremely generous appendices to grant children genuine access to Asha’s spy files, at the back of the book and online via an app.

As well as excitement, there are also laughs to be had (though the jokes are rather too often flatulence based!). Even when the danger level reaches epic proportions, and when Asha is cracking the most fiendish of codes, we never lose sight of the fact that she is a young girl with a passion for computers and a desire to have fun.

Sophie Deen has set out to deliver a series of action-packed spy stories that promotes STEM subjects and careers for young girls, especially those who are BAME. Asha is a fun and motivating role model for all children, and this first adventure has the potential to capture imaginations and inspire many.