Code 7 by Bryan R. Johnson

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You can read for free with Kindle Unlimited (as of August 2019)

Book Description

Life at Flint Hill Elementary School may seem normal, but seven friends find themselves on a path to crack the code for an epic life. Whether they're chasing their dreams on stage, searching for an elusive monster fish, or running a makeshift business out of a tree house, can these heroes find a way to work together to change their community?

Review

I received an eARC copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.

I read this book back in 2017 so I don't remember details but I do remember reading it.

Someone reached out and asked if I would be interested in participating in an author interview in preparation for the book's release. I'll post the relevant part of my response below:

To be honest, I was going to pass - but then I finished the book and went and looked up more about Johnson and the Code 7 project. In all fairness, I wouldn't say that the writing is the greatest in the world, but I love the idea behind the project. Code 7, while far-fetched and simplistic, does present key characteristics that, as a parent, educator and concerned citizen, I believe our youth need to develop. The compilation of stories makes it easy to understand those characteristics in a practical way and opens the door to honest conversations between kids and adults. 

Two years on, I still believe this is an excellent book to open up conversations with young readers. And thinking about the simplistic language used in the book, I believe this can be beneficial as it will open the book to readers of all levels. And isn't that what we want from books: to have children connect with the characters and situations and then be inspired?

I gave this book: ★★★

★ = I did not like it     ★★ = It was okay     ★★★ = I liked it    

★★★★ = I really liked it     ★★★★★ = I loved it

Interview with Bryan R. Johnson

What inspired you to write Code 7? 

Each night when I was putting my children to bed, I’d make up a story for them on the spot. I always made the children protagonists in the story, and I could watch their faces and see how engaged they were: their emotions and their brains racing. It was fascinating to experience storytelling with them because they just loved it, and I loved hearing how they think, talk, express ideas, and learn. After that, I decided to start write these stories down.

I hoped to write a book that would reach a wide array of kids, and middle-grade is really the “Golden Age” of reading. The characters and settings actually mirrored the ages of my kids and the experiences they were having in life at the time. The book was also inspired by their teachers, principals, and things they were working on, too. 

What is your code for an epic life and why?

Each of the words featured in Code 7 plays a major part in forming my own values (Authenticity, Character, Care, Responsibility, Perseverance, Courage, and Become).

The last word, become, is built upon the idea that we’re at a unique time and place in human history where we can increasingly author any kind of world that we can imagine. This includes, for example, the ability to program computer software, biology, genetics and hopefully soon, neural code - some of the very things that we’re made of! Humans have authorship on a level that we’ve never had before, which raises a really important question about what we want to become because it’s increasingly becoming an enlarged area of opportunity.  I’m really excited about the potential. 

What were your favorite childhood books?

Harold and the Purple Crayon, Berenstain Bears, Chronicles of Narnia, Dr. Seuss, Curious George, Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, and Where The Red Fern Grows, to name a few.   

What do you hope children will learn from reading your book? 

I hope that kids feel inspired to find and follow their own purpose. It’s a difficult thing to extract ourselves from the values, priorities and ideas that we each inherit in life.  I want kids to ask themselves: If I could create my own purpose, what would it be? I want them to think about what they care about, not what others care about. 

When I talk to kids who have read my book, I am amazed by how they remember their favorite characters, how they are able to quickly intuit why their favorite story in Code 7 mattered to them. I also believe my readers connect with stories that address relatable themes of friendship, peer pressure, bullying, and identity without it feeling like they are getting spoon-fed a lesson. In the book, seven ordinary children each have their own not-so-ordinary story, and by the book’s end, I believe it inspires readers to ask an all-important question: can I make a difference to myself and to others? The answer is a resounding yes.   

How many things did you fail at before you finally made a breakthrough in your life?

I don’t give much power to the word failure. To me, success and failure is all just one big continuous iteration. 

What’s next for you?

The next frontier of human aspiration. I’m trying to contribute to the creation of a future where we would look back in a couple thousand years from now and be pleased about the decisions we’ve made and how we’ve played our role in contributing to a positive future. 

I think you’ll see more books as well; I find writing to be incredibly enjoyable. 

To see my latest news, follow me on Twitter, Facebook or visit bryanjohnson.co.  To receive email updates about my books, sign up for the email list here: code7book.com/contact 

I would like write you a fan letter or feature you in a book report. How do I contact you? 

Kids, please be sure to read all about me and my book Code 7 at Code7book.com. For more information about the other things I am up to, you may also visit bryanjohnson.co. If you would like to write a fan letter, you may contact me at code7book.com/contact. While I can’t respond to every comment I receive, please know I read every fan letter I get, and your words inspire me to keep writing more books!