12 Coding Books to Try in the Classroom

Are your students as obsessed with coding as mine? I absolutely love that they are all jumping on this trend. Coding can be used to teach virtually any topic. As a teacher you don’t even have to be an expert on coding to be able to use it in the classroom!

I highly recommend checking out these 12 books and adding them to your classroom library.

*If you click on an image, it will bring you to the page on Amazon. If you purchase a book from clicking through this post I will receive compensation.

1. Coding Games in Scratch- “Written for children ages 8–12 with little to no coding experience, this straightforward visual guide uses fun graphics and easy-to-follow instructions to show young learners how to build their own computer projects using Scratch, a popular free programming language.

With Coding Games in Scratch, kids can build single and multiplayer platform games, create puzzles and memory games, race through mazes, add animation, and more.”

2. Coding for Kids for Dummies- “An easy-to-grasp introduction to coding concepts for kids

Coding For Kids For Dummies breaks coding into a series of small projects, each designed to teach elementary-to-middle-school-aged students a core concept to build a game, application, or other tool. In this his hands-on, friendly guide readers will get access to a leading coding tool that has been designed specifically for kids, showing them how to create the projects provided in the book as well as how to implement them into their own creative work.”

3. DK Workbooks: Coding with Scratch Workbook- “Perfect for beginner coders ages 6–9, this highly visual workbook builds basic programming skills using Scratch, a free computer coding programming language, and will take kids from browsing to building.”

4. Code Your Own Games! “Become a super-coder and create your very own computer games using Scratch—a free software developed by MIT.

Calling all creative young gamers! With its easy-to-follow, illustrated step-by-step instructions, this book will teach you key concepts—like drawing shapes—so you can code your own games. By the end, any kid will be able to make 20 popular games, from Snake to Brick Bouncer.”

5. My First Coding Book- “Teach kids as young as 5 years old the basic programming skills necessary to code, including sequencing and loops, without a computer.

It’s never too early to learn computer coding. With interactive paper engineering, My First Coding Book is a playful, hands-on introduction to offline coding and programming that will give young children 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, which is extremely valuable and sought-after in today’s world.”

6. So, You want to Be a Coder?- “Love coding? Make your passion your profession with this comprehensive guide that reveals a whole host of careers working with code.

Behind the screen of your phone, tablet, computer, or game console lies a secret language that allows it all to work. Computer code has become as integral to our daily lives as reading and writing, even if you didn’t know it! Now it’s time to plug in and start creating the same technology you’re using every day.”

7. How to Code- “Become a master coder, with these step-by-step instructions and robot helpers too! How to Code teaches you all the basic concepts, including Loops, Variables, and Selection, and then develops your skills further until you can create your own website . . . and more! Learn how to use Logo, build games in Scratch, program projects in Python, experiment with HTML, and make interactive web pages with JavaScript.”

8. Python for Kids: “Python is a powerful, expressive programming language that’s easy to learn and fun to use! But books about learning to program in Python can be kind of dull, gray, and boring, and that’s no fun for anyone.”

9. Coding in Scratch: Games Workbook- “Perfect for children ages 6–9 who are new to coding, this highly visual workbook is a fun introduction to Scratch, a free computer coding programming language, that will take kids from playing games to creating them.”

10. Coding iPhone Apps for Kids- “Apple’s Swift is a powerful, beginner-friendly programming language that anyone can use to make cool apps for the iPhone or iPad. In Coding iPhone Apps for Kids, you’ll learn how to use Swift to write programs, even if you’ve never programmed before.”

11. Story of Coding- “Discover the history of computers and coding, from Ada Lovelace’s initial idea of computer programming to today’s coding languages like Scratch, Python, Javascript, and more, in this Level 2 nonfiction reader featuring photographs, diagrams, fun facts, and strong visual clues.”

12. Girls Who Code: Learn to Code and Change the World- “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.”

Phew! I think your students will really enjoy having these books available to read when they finish early. They all also make great mini lessons and/or read alouds to the class. Have you come across any other great computer science books for kids? Let me know in the comments.

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@brittanywashburntech
Hour of code is almost here! Check out this book for elementary students. #hourofcode #techteacher
♬ original sound – Brittany Washburn Technology

@brittanywashburntech
Some of my favorite coding themed picture books perfect for Hour of Code! #techteacher
♬ original sound – Brittany Washburn Technology

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