Coding Books for Kids
For kids who love screen time and video games, you might get them interested in reading if they can learn how to make their own computer game! Check out these great how-to guides to learn the basics of coding computers. If you want to get into computer science as an adult or are just interested interested in learning more, these books will give you a sneak peek at how your favorite games, apps, and computer programs work!
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Coding Books for Kids
Coding for Kids by Camille McCue
An essential academic skill, coding is right up there with reading, writing, and arithmetic. This book is an ideal way for young learners ages 8-13 who want more coding knowledge than you can learn in an hour, a day, or a week.
Written by a classroom instructor with extensive experience teaching technology skills to kids as young as five, this book teaches the steps and logic needed to write code, solve problems, and create fun projects based in Scratch and JavaScript. This 2nd Edition is fully updated to feature only free programming languages available online to everyone.
- Use simple coding tools ideal for teaching kids and beginners
- Learn the evergreen concepts of writing computer code
- Build game apps and cool gadgets you can show off to friends
Whether you’re a kid ready to make fun things using technology or a parent, teacher, or mentor looking to introduce coding in an eager child’s life, this fun book makes getting started with coding fun and easy!
Girls Who Code: Learn to Code and Change the World by Reshma Saujani
Since 2012, the organization Girls Who Code has taught computing skills to and inspired over 40,000 girls across America. Now its founder, and author Brave Not Perfect, Reshma Saujani, wants to inspire you to be a girl who codes! Bursting with dynamic artwork, down-to-earth explanations of coding principles, and real-life stories of girls and women working at places like Pixar and NASA, this graphically animated book shows what a huge role computer science plays in our lives and how much fun it can be.
No matter your interest—sports, the arts, baking, student government, social justice—coding can help you do what you love and make your dreams come true. Whether you’re a girl who’s never coded before, a girl who codes, or a parent raising one, this entertaining book, printed in bold two-color and featuring art on every page, will have you itching to create your own apps, games, and robots to make the world a better place.
Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding by Linda Liukas
Meet Ruby―a small girl with a huge imagination, and the determination to solve any puzzle. As Ruby stomps around her world making new friends, including the Wise Snow Leopard, the Friendly Foxes, and the Messy Robots, kids will be introduced to the fundamentals of computational thinking, like how to break big problems into small ones, create step-by-step plans, look for patterns and think outside the box through storytelling. Then, these basic concepts at the core of coding and programming will be reinforced through fun playful exercises and activities that encourage exploration and creativity.
In Ruby’s world anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
How to Be a Coder by Kiki Prottsman
Each of the fun craft activities included in this book will teach you about a key concept of computer programming and can be done completely offline. Then you can put your skills into practice by trying out the simple programs provided in the online, child-friendly computer language Scratch.
This crafty coding book breaks down the principles of coding into bite-sized chunks that will get you thinking like a computer scientist in no time. Learn about loops by making a friendship bracelet, find out about programming by planning a scavenger hunt, and discover how functions work with paper fortune tellers. Children can then use their new knowledge to code for real by following the clear instructions to build programs in Scratch 3.0.
Perfect for kids aged 7-9, the various STEAM activities will help teach children the crucial skills of logical thinking that will give them a head-start for when they begin programming on a computer. Famous scientist pages teach children about coding pioneers, such as Alan Turing and Katherine Johnson, and topic pages, such as the Internet, give kids a wider understanding of the subject.
How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk, illustrated by Sara Palacios
All summer, Pearl has been trying to build the perfect sandcastle, but out-of-control Frisbees and mischievous puppies keep getting in the way! Pearl and her robot friend Pascal have one last chance, and this time, they’re going to use code to get the job done. Using fundamental computer coding concepts like sequences and loops, Pearl and Pascal are able to break down their sandcastle problem into small, manageable steps. If they can create working code, this could turn out to be the best beach day ever!
How to Explain Coding to a Grown-Up by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Teresa Martinez
Grown-ups do NOT have all the answers! In this tongue-in-cheek guide, an in-the-know narrator instructs perceptive kid readers in the fine art of explaining coding to a grown-up. Both children and their adults learn the basics of coding, including hardware, software, algorithms, and debugging. Cleverly disguised “pro tips” suggest best practices for teaching any topic.
If/Then by Vicky Fang, illustrated by Jade Orlando
Written by an expert, I Can Code: IF/THEN uses simple text, colorful illustrations, and interactive flaps to help little ones discover the building blocks of coding all around them! As they follow along with an adorable story about cause and effect, they’ll explore fundamental concepts like conditions, rules, and logic―and have fun doing it.
My First Coding Book by Kiki Prottsman
It’s never too early to learn computer coding! With innovative, interactive paper engineering, My First Coding Book is a playful, hands-on introduction to offline coding and programming that will give children ages 5 to 7 a head start. Filled with puzzles, mazes, and games to teach the basic concepts of sequences, algorithms, and debugging, this book will help children develop critical thinking, logic, and other skills to cement lifelong computer literacy.
With its unique approach and colorful and creative imagery, My First Coding Book makes learning and fun one and the same and will have children playing their way to programming proficiency.
Supporting STEM and STEAM education initiatives, computer coding teaches kids how to think creatively, work collaboratively, and reason systematically, and is quickly becoming a necessary and sought-after skill. DK’s computer coding for kids books are full of fun exercises with step-by-step guidance, making them the perfect introductory tools for building vital skills in computer programming.
Python for Kids by Jason R. Briggs
Python is a powerful programming language that’s easy to learn and fun to use! But books about programming in Python can be dull and that’s no fun for anyone.
Python for Kids brings kids (and their parents) into the wonderful world of programming. Jason R. Briggs guides you through the basics, experimenting with unique (and hilarious) example programs featuring ravenous monsters, secret agents, thieving ravens, and more. New terms are defined; code is colored and explained; puzzles stretch the brain and strengthen understanding; and full-color illustrations keep you engaged throughout.
By the end of the book, you’ll have programmed two games: a clone of the famous Pong, and “Mr. Stick Man Races for the Exit”—a platform game with jumps and animation.
Scratch Jr. Coding Cards by Marina Umaschi Bers and Amanda Sullivan
The ScratchJr Coding Cards encourage kids to think creatively and systematically while developing computational thinking skills. Kids will learn powerful ideas about computer science by using ScratchJr programming blocks to make characters move, jump, dance, sing, and more. As they work through the deck, they will become creative thinkers and problem solvers.
Super Scratch Programming Adventure! by The LEAD Project
In Super Scratch Programming Adventure!, kids learn programming fundamentals as they make their very own playable video games. They’ll create projects inspired by classic arcade games that can be programmed (and played!) in an afternoon. Patient, step-by-step explanations of the code and fun programming challenges will have kids creating their own games in no time.
What’s an Algorithm? by Kaitlyn Siu, illustrated by Marcelo Badari
This series, written by a qualified coding educator and neuroscience expert, provides a complete introduction to essential coding skills. Key coding concepts are explained through fun robot adventure stories. As robot friends Jet and Bolt plan and enjoy a visit to a splash park, readers learn to write an algorithm and what a bug is.
