Who on Earth is Agent Asha?
Well, well, well. In case you haven't bumped into her on the internet (or at your local bookstore), let's introduce you to the newest member of the Bright Little Labs family – Asha Joshi, aka Agent Asha.
The bright-eyed, bushy-tailed 11-year-old is always on the lookout for mysteries to solve and truths to uncover. But, be warned, parents - her adventures are not what they might seem to the untrained eye.
Secretly woven into each of her exciting stories are fun-filled lessons on coding and critical thinking – all in line with the National Curriculum Computing for KS1 and KS2.
Simplifying computer science for kids
The concepts of algorithms, coding and debugging are tactically dressed in a generous dollop of fun to take the scare-factor away for the maths-o-phobes and visual thinkers.
And, yes, for all the kids who equate coding to boring, Asha's farting selfie-stick and a robo-hamster come bouncing in to pump up the silliness quotient and bring on some giggles.
Online Safety without being preachy
Besides getting them hooked on coding, Agent Asha also endeavours to arm children with the all-important skills of online safety.
When the enthusiastic little coders, gamers and the curious surfers jump straight on to the internet, throwing caution to the winds, it’s a task in itself to hold their hands and teach them how to navigate the waters safely and skilfully.
Agent Asha has taken it upon herself to do this tactfully and puts across important tips on staying alert online, creating secure passwords and sifting out credible information from the dubious, stinky ones - all without going down the boring preachy route, of course.
Stories with a purpose
Now, Asha's role doesn't end with coding and technology alone. This punchy, determined, farting heroine is determined to break stereotypes and promote empathy in a language that young minds can relate to.
In a world where children are bombarded with the images of perfect peers and their perfect (air-brushed) lives, Asha puts across the message that it's perfectly okay to be different. It's perfectly okay to be imperfect. It's perfectly okay to be you!
Check out Agent Asha’s secret den to get a whiff of her new adventures.