Talia’s Codebook for Middle School

December 2025

With help from her trusty notebook, Talia thinks she has cracked the codes of middle school—what to wear, what to say, what not to say. But knowledge and mastery don’t always equate, and codes are like homework: just when you think you’re caught up, a new batch arrives. Luckily math brims with codes, and Talia, with her knack for observations and deductions, understands math. As part of a newly merged coed math team, Talia must navigate not only her own struggles with competition, leadership, and stage fright, but also the girl-boy codes and her jealousy of the team’s “perfect” new captain. Being on the same team, it turns out, doesn’t always mean you’re friends, but it does give you the space to try. Second in a charming spin-off series from the creator of the phenomenally popular Amelia books, this doodle-dense, STEM-centric diary will delight and engross readers navigating unfamiliar social terrain.

“Moss’ latest middle-grade novel continues the story begun in Talia’s Codebook for Mathletes (2023), in which Talia writes down her thoughts and mixed emotions about attending middle school, while working hard to keep her place on the math team despite her insecurities about her gift for mathematics. The second book offers a sensitive portrayal of Talia and her classmates. She's trying hard to live by her ideals while pleasing her parents and keeping her

friends. Frequent black-and-white drawings, representing Talia’s illustrations in her “codebook,” have a fresh look and a realistic vibe. While Talia resents parental pressure to maintain high grades and keep her leadership role among the Mathletes, she’s also working hard to succeed in both realms, though the prolonged effort takes its toll. A prolific writer and illustrator for children, Moss may be remembered mainly for creating the innovative Amelia’s Notebook series, which also featured a girl who kept a self-illustrated diary of her ideas, experiences, and reflections, though today’s young readers may find the Talia’s Codebook series equally engaging and, perhaps, more timely.” — Booklist 2025