Learning to code provides kids with more than just the skills required for programming jobs. Coding is not only a practical skill, but it has multiple professional and recreational applications. It also teaches organization, patience, planning, and attention to detail, skills which apply to all areas of life.

Dorling Kindersley has a wide range of coding books for all ages and experience levels.

From My First Coding Book, for which you don’t even need a computer, through Coding Projects In Scratch, and Star Wars Coding Projects to workbooks for JavaScript and Raspberry Pi.

We have a range of coding books, sent to us for review by DK Canada over the last year, and here are our favourites.

My First Coding Book

This cute little book is for the smallest of potential coders. Without a keyboard or touchscreen, kids learn, among other things, the principles of breaking down a large task into bite (or should that be byte?) sized pieces, laying out a plan, and hunting for bugs. Click here for full details and the review.

Coding Games In Scratch

For kids 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. They can create puzzles and memory games, race through mazes, add animation and more. All they need is a desktop or laptop with Adobe 10.2 or later, and an internet connection to download Scratch 2.0. It is also possible to code without download on https://scratch.mit.edu.

Eight build-along game projects guide young coders step-by-step, using visual examples, easy-to-follow instructions, and fun pixel art. The book teaches essential strategies for solving problems, designing projects, and communicating ideas, all while creating games to play with their friends.

Coding With Scratch Made Easy

Help kids learn to code with Coding With Scratch Made Easy–Learn the Basics, Games, and Projects. 

Developed in consultation with leading educational experts, Coding With Scratch Made Easy is designed for children ages 9-1. The book is full of exercises and activities to teach computer coding using Scratch, a free coding program from MIT developed especially for children.

Young novice coders will learn about the basics of coding, how to download Scratch, and how to work with scripts, animations, loops, movement, and sounds, before putting them all together to create fun games and projects. 

With easy-to-follow instructions and Minecraft-style illustrations, Coding With Scratch Made Easy is the perfect first practice book to build and sharpen vital skills.

Science Literacy Week

Science Literacy Week highlights Canada’s outstanding scientists and science communicators from coast-to-coast. The goals of the week are to showcase the excellence and diversity of Canadian science while showing how exciting science is.

It could be as simple as a science-themed book display encouraging people to read something a little different, to multi-day events across the country. The week offers something for everyone. For one week in September, libraries, universities, museums and other partners put on a spectacular nationwide festival of science.

Disclosure: I received the item(s) featured in this article for free in exchange for a review on this site. I only recommend products I personally use or would be happy to use and believe would be suitable for my readers. All opinions are my own, and the points of view in this post were not influenced in any way by the sponsor.