Código 7

Bilingual Spanish - English Chapter Book for Kids, ESL/ELL, and Spanish Language Learners

Children - Grade 4th-6th
242 Pages
Reviewed on 06/06/2019
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Bryan R. Johnson's Código 7: Bilingual Spanish - English Chapter Book for Kids, ESL/ELL, and Spanish Language Learners is a collection of interrelated stories about a group of fifth-grade friends attending Flint Hill Elementary School. Jefferson’s story is the first in the series. He’s always been about putting his vision on paper. If Jefferson’s not painting, he’s busy drawing or sketching something. When Principal Cooler asks for ideas at a school assembly on how to jazz up the school for its 50th anniversary, Jefferson couldn’t stop himself from suggesting a mural for the blank, white shoebox-shaped walls. The audience instantly got on board with his suggestion, and ideas about the mural’s themes flew around the excited audience. But who should be the artist? Jefferson cringed when his friend Darren suggested that Jefferson do it. After all, shouldn’t a professional do it, not a kid? The principal and teachers seemed to all agree; Jefferson would be put in charge of the mural project. Somehow, he knew if he worked hard enough at it, he’d come up with the perfect idea, but time was ticking past and still nothing. Then Mr. Summers, the groundskeeper, gave him the best possible advice.

I’m always on the lookout for bilingual Spanish/English books as a way to refresh my familiarity with a language I rarely get to use in real life. Bryan R. Johnson’s collection of inspirational stories for preteens offered me the perfect opportunity to do so. His stories are beautifully written, and his characters are well-defined and credible. Each kid’s challenges and triumphs seem universal, and the resolutions are ingenious. The Spanish translations were fun to work through before reading the English, and I appreciated the fact that the two versions were separated instead of being presented on opposing pages. The simple fact of it being a bit harder to cheat and look at the translation helps motivate the reader to deduce and work just a bit more with their language skill set. The stories are awesome, and the opportunity to use both languages while enjoying them is a big plus. Código 7 is most highly recommended.