Computer Science for Kids

Preface

It's a steamy summer evening, and you struggle to concentrate on the pages of your math homework. The curtains hanging over your open window are completely motionless, as not a breath of air stirs the murky twilight. You gaze out into the gathering darkness, not thinking about anything other than whether you have the energy to walk downstairs to get another cool drink of water. Outside, the steady buzz‐buzz‐buzz of cicadas starts to thrum through the dusk, and as the darkness intensifies, you notice a pinpoint of light twinkling fitfully in the woods outside your house. Normally, you only visit the forest in the daytime, where you enjoy watching insects and animals go about their daily business. They always seem busy and happy, and you like observing their habits with your handy binoculars and magnifying glass that help you watch both birds and tiny bugs.

Tonight, however, the forest is strangely dark, except for that feebly flickering light. Even though your room is too warm for comfort, you feel a cold shiver down your spine. What is that light? It doesn't look like the fireflies that usually swirl merrily in the dark, flashing their gaudy yellow, white, and sometimes green luminescence. Tonight, the forest has faded to black. Have all the fireflies left? Are their glows concentrated in that one pinpoint of light? Giving up on trying to concentrate on your homework, you decide to investigate.

Rummaging through your drawer of handy tools, you grab your explorer kit ...