For Girls That Code: Hello Ruby

 Most children at least once in their lives feel very powerless. Someone else comes up with the rules. Not in programming. – Linda Liukus

Hello Ruby: Adventures In Coding

In 2009, when Lina Liukus was trying to teach herself programming, Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding was born. Linda said that “all of a sudden, a little girl waved at me from the paper, inviting me on a journey”. What started as an art project turned into the most funded book on Kickstarter’s children’s book category.

Hello Ruby is designed to be a fun and interactive way for young children to learn the basics of coding. The book is also perfect for young girls to learn more about coding since it follows the life and adventures of Ruby, a “small girl with a big imagination”. According to the philosophy of the book, Hello Ruby is a celebration of computing: from its immense philosophies to the tiniest booleans – and everything in between”. Ruby is a small girl with a big imagination: her animal friends help her navigate through sometimes the seemingly irrational world.

Ruby’s world has rules and reason, repetition and rhythm, ridicules and riddles and one can build something out of nothing. — Linda Liukus

How It All (Kick) Started

Linda Liukas has an extensive background in programming. She’s studied business, design, and engineering at Aalto University and product engineering at Stanford University. In 2003, Linda was selected as the 2013 Ruby Hero (the most notable prize within the Ruby programming community). She’s also the Digital Champion of Finland, appointed by EU commissioner Neelie Kroes.

In addition to writing Hello Ruby and her many other inspiring endeavors, Linda is the founder of Rails Girls—a global phenomenon teaching the basics of programming for young women all over the world. The workshops, organized by volunteers in over 160 cities, have in a few years taught more than 10,000 women the foundations of programming.

With her impressive background, education and creativity, Linda Liukas created an awesome Kickstarter campaign to help bring Hello Ruby to production. The book quickly smashed its $10,000 funding goal after just 3.5 hours and gathering 380,000 dollars in total funding. Now, Hello Ruby is the most funded book on Kickstarter’s children’s book category. Take a look at the original Kickstarter campaign video below:

 

In some ways [Ruby] is like Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes, in others she’s like Pippi Longstockings. – Linda Liukas

Where To Buy?

Hello Ruby is available to buy on Amazon: Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding.

Now It’s Your Turn!

What do you think about the book Hello Ruby? Do you know of other books for kids that help to introduce them to technology? Let’s talk in the comment section below!
Sources: https://www.helloruby.com/about

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