Ada & Zangemann: A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream

Author: Matthias Kirschner and Sandra Brandstätter
Lower Age: 10+
Website: https://nostarch.com/ada-zangemann
Price: $17.99
Year Added: 2023
Amazon URL: https://tinyurl.com/277btrwk
The book encourages children to question who owns the technology around them, and why
Technology is for everyone...at least, that's the moral of Ada & Zangemann: A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream by Matthias Kirschner and Sandra Brandstätter. This beautifully written and illustrated story follows a technological revolution that occurs when an inventor becomes enraged by the use of his creations for fun, rather than their intended purposes. Encouraging creative, out-of-the-box engineering thinking, problem-solving, and perseverance, as well as endless tinkering, Kirschner and Brandstätter weave a story that will encourage children to question who owns the technology around them, and why. ― A.R. Miller, Purdue Reviewer

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I like how it makes a positive statement that girls can code and use computers. ― Child Reviewer

Framework Categories

Processes of Design (POD)
Issues, Solutions, and Impacts (ISI)
Teamwork (Team)
Communication related to Engineering (Comm-Engr)
Computational Thinking
Apply SEM Knowledge (SEM)

Moore, T.J., Glancy, A.W., Tank, K.M., Kersten, J.A., Smith, K.A., & Stohlmann, M.S. (2014). A framework for quality K-12 engineering education: Research and development. Journal of Precollege Engineering Education Research, 4(1), 1-13.


It should be noted that this book promotes the usage of open-source software, as well as actively encourages protest against software that opposes this ideal. If this message is one you choose not to share with the children in your life, Ada and Zangemann may be better to leave off your gift list this year.