Python for Kids by Jason Briggs

Python for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming, Jason Briggs. San Francisco CAL.: No Starch Press, 2012.  e-book, 953 pps.

http://jasonrbriggs.com


I love No Starch Press. I haven't met a book from No Starch that I didn't absolutely love. And I love Python the programming language too. So when I saw Python for Kids, it was practically a given that I would purchase it. Coding is fun and so is this book.

The first chapter of Python for Kids gives easy to follow instructions for installing Python onto one's computer. There are distinct advantages to coding with Python. It comes with a full library. It is user-friendly. It makes sense.

The rest of the book is devoted to actually using Python [and some nifty exercises at the end of each chapter], vocabulary, and then creating two games with Python.  There is also a companion website called http://python-for-kids.com for those who want more.

sapphoq reviews says: Jason Briggs did a fine job with Python for Kids. All instructions and concepts were easy to follow. This one is a winner! If you don't know how to code, you really ought to learn at least one language. This book comes with the highest recommendation.

Lauren Ipsum by Carlos Bueno

Lauren Ipsum, Carlos Bueno.  Prescott, Az: Off By-One Press, 2011.  ebook, 197 pps.

Lauren Ipsum is a different sort of book.  It uses a "child got lost in the scary weird woods" tale to teach kids some jargon useful to the study of computer science.  Lauren doesn't want to go to summer school like-- according to her mother-- the kids in Finland do.  So she goes off for a ramble in the woods, wanders farther than usual, and meets up with some creatures and then a professor.  Notes which begin on page 179 further explain the new vocabulary.

sapphoq reviews says:  While superficially a children's story, Lauren Ipsum introduces the reader to some basic concepts which are explained clearly and really do fit into the storyline.  Lauren Ipsum scores major points for execution and for ease of understanding.  Highly recommended to the middle school crowd and older.