Hi, I’m Reshma. I’m the founder of Girls Who Code, where we teach middle- and high-school girls how to change the world by writing code. The girls in our coding clubs create all sorts of cool things, including games, apps, websites, and more.

Have you ever been in a talent show? I remember performing in one when I was in elementary school—my friends and I put together a Bollywood dance! Talent shows were always a ton of fun, but they were also a lot of work. Fortunately, I had a group of friends to practice with, and we always enjoyed ourselves, even if we didn’t win.

In this book, you’ll read about Erin and her BFFs in coding club—Maya, Sophia, Leila, and Lucy—getting ready for their school’s talent show. But, even more exciting, they’re developing a web app so that students can vote for their favorite performances online! I wish there had been a web app for our talent shows when I was growing up (apps weren’t really a thing yet). That would have made talent shows even more exciting!

Erin also deals with a personal problem in this story, and is scared to tell her friends about it. But she soon learns that best friends can help you get through even the toughest times. Like the other books in our Girls Who Code series, this book is about—above all—the importance of sisterhood and having a supportive group of friends who are always there for you. That’s one of the most vital things we teach in our programs at Girls Who Code.

If you like reading this book, I hope you’ll join one of our free coding clubs across the country. In our clubs, you’ll make amazing friends—and you might even create something you can use in a talent show one day.

Happy reading—and coding!

Reshma Saujani