Programming Games and Animation Kids Get Coding Series Book Review

Programming Games and Animation 

Kids Get Coding Series

Heather Lyons (Author)

Alex Westgate (Illustrator)

Lerner Publications

Children’s Nonfiction, Upper Elementary

Publication Date: August 1, 2017

I love finding coding books that appeal to different age groups and that get kids interested in coding. I had a lot of hope for Programming Games and Animation from the Kids Get Coding series, but this book fell flat.

First, the web address in the book takes you to a page where the links associated with this book say, "Sorry... There's nothing here!" so any of the activities the book describes can't actually be completed. If I was a kid, I would be devastated.

Second, the book does do a good job of helping kids plan out a maze-type game and thinking through different scenarios, but the "coding" they show doesn't translate into other commonly used types of coding I've seen. Perhaps it is exactly what kids need for the maze-building website that has a broken link and is thus inaccessible? But as it currently is, if kids read this book, they would not be able to apply their knowledge to other coding formats.

Last, the book covers several coding topics but uses a rubber duck called "Data Duck" as its mascot. Even when the duck wears sunglasses, it's still too juvenile for the target audience. Upper Elementary kids who are excited to learn to code want to be challenged, not infantilized. Again, I had a lot of hope for this book, but your money would be better spent elsewhere.

If you’re still interested in reading Programming Games and Animation from the Kids Get Coding Series, you can purchase a copy here on Amazon. 

*A copy of this book was provided free of charge for an honest review.